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Using Granulated Wood Charcoal as a Filter Medium
Author(s) -
Agbanobi R. O.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1999.00472425002800030039x
Subject(s) - charcoal , wastewater , effluent , filtration (mathematics) , activated charcoal , environmental science , waste management , pulp and paper industry , activated carbon , organic matter , sewage treatment , filter (signal processing) , environmental engineering , chemistry , adsorption , engineering , electrical engineering , organic chemistry , statistics , mathematics
The use of activated carbon (AC) filtration and chlorination to polish wastewater effluent is becoming increasingly costly. A cost‐effective approach is needed to clean large volumes of wastewater often discharged into surface waters or used to recharge depleted ground water aquifers. Hardwood charcoal is characterized by large pore size, which makes it a possible media for absorbing bacteria and organic matter, similar to AC in filtration capabilities. To determine the efficiency of granular wood charcoal (GWC) as a filter medium, a comparative study was carried out in a laboratory test using GWC and sand. The results showed that GWC is superior to the sand in pollutant removal and length of effectiveness. This is important because GWC can be obtained at relatively little cost. This is an effective and environmentally sound approach for recycling the growing volume of wood charcoal in the municipal solid waste stream.