What is activated carbon?

(Activated Carbon is Active Carbon that has come in contact with water. It goes from active state to being activated.)

Activated carbon is very effective when it comes to removing pollutants, smell and bad taste from tap water. Precisely for this reason, active carbon is often used in the process of filtering water.

Active carbon is small pieces of carbon, in granular, powder or block form, that have been treated to be extremely porous. One gram of active carbon has a surface area of 500-3000 m². To put this in perspective, four grams of active carbon equals an entire football field. And it is actually the huge surface area of the coal that makes an active carbon filter enormously effective for absorbing and removing pollutants and other things from your water.

This is how activated carbon works

When water flows through an activated carbon filter, the chemicals stick to the carbon, resulting in cleaner water outlet. The efficiency depends on the flow and temperature of the water. Therefore, most filters should be used at low pressure and with cold water.

The activated carbon works very effectively in the removal of at least 81 chemicals, effectively against 30 chemicals and moderately effective against 22 chemicals. Active carbon is also recommended for the removal of organic contaminants, THMs, pesticides and herbicides. However, there are also pollutants that activated carbon can do nothing about.

Active carbon is usually made from coconut shells.

Activated carbon in a larger perspective

In Europe and North America, water is heavily regulated, tested, and certified for drinking. In many places chlorine is added to ensure the use of the water, but chlorine can also make it taste and smell bad. An activated carbon filter is eminent for removing chlorine and the bad taste and smell that it causes. High quality carbon filters can remove 95 percent or more of the chlorine.

The most common concern for tap water is the by-products of chlorine, such as THMs, which have been identified as potentially carcinogenic. Therefore, activated carbon serves a great purpose, being more efficient than any other filter technology in removing the chlorine by-products from your drinking water.

Active carbon is the most outstanding technology for filtering drinking water. An activated carbon filter thus solves many of the problems associated with contaminated drinking water.