Open AccessAPPLICATIONS OF ACTIVATED CARBON IN WASTE WATER TREATMENT AS A LOW COST MEDIA
Author(s) -
R.P.K Dasanayaka
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of engineering applied science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2455-2143
DOI - 10.33564/ijeast.2021.v05i11.001
Subject(s) - activated carbon , wastewater , waste management , powdered activated carbon treatment , adsorption , sewage treatment , environmental science , activated sludge , carbon fibers , environmental engineering , chemistry , materials science , engineering , organic chemistry , composite number , composite material
Environmental pollution caused by theanthropogenic activities is a global challenge. Pollution dueto discharge of untreated wastewater, contributes to itconsiderably. High expenditures for the treatmenttechnologies can be considered as one of the major reasonfor improper wastewater discharge. Activated carbonprovides an excellent solution for this issue as it can beused as a low cost wastewater treatment adsorbent. Thispaper review, types of activated carbon, their applicationsand recovery methods in wastewater treatment. Activatedcarbon from conventional waste such as agriculturalwaste, woody waste and non conventional waste such asmunicipal waste can be used as a low cost media for wastewater purifications. Physical and chemical processes areused to improve the adsorption property of the activatedcarbon. H3PO4, KOH and ZnCl2 are the most frequentlyused chemicals for the activation process. Granularactivated carbon, powdered activated carbon, activatedcarbon fibers and carbon clothes are the major physicalforms of the activated carbon. These physical forms areimportant to maximize the adsorption process according tothe purpose of usage. Activated carbon is used to removeheavy metals, dyes, COD, BOD, organic contaminants andvolatile organic compounds in the waste water. Variousrecovery methods are applied to regenerate activatedcarbons. Among them, chemical, thermal, and bioregeneration methods are examined. Strengths,weaknesses, opportunities, threats related to use ofactivated carbon and future research priority areas arealso discussed