ABSTRACT
Granular activated carbon filters (GAC) adsorption has been used to remove radon from water to concentrate it for analytical measurements. Downflow fixed bed contactors offer the simplest and most common contactor configuration for radon removal in ground water. However, the use of air stripping for the purpose of controlling radon is a relatively new concept in the drinking water industry. To date, few pilot-scale packed tower aeration studies have been conducted for radon removal. Since radon acts similarly to some highly volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and packed columns have been shown to be the most efficient form of aeration for VOC removal, packed tower aeration has been considered as a most effective technology. Although both GAC and packed tower aeration have been identified as the most effective technologies for the removal of radon from drinking water, the long EBCTs required for removing radon by GAC results in substantially greater production costs that are required for packed tower aeration.
