ABSTRACT
Activated carbon, and more broadly carbon or charcoal, is generally considered a "safe" material. Although the transportation, handling, and use of activated carbon is not inherently dangerous, it is prudent to observe appropriate safety precautions. Activated carbon will also react with oxygen to yield CO and CO2. The rate of reaction is governed by temperature. Wet activated carbon confined in large vessels will adsorb oxygen preferentially from the air and could diminish the oxygen level sufficiently to cause asphyxiation if workers enter the vessel without proper protection and precautions. The very properties for which activated carbon is used in wastewater treatment requires that spent carbon be treated with caution. Some treatment systems are based on a one-time use of the activated carbon. Spent or loaded carbon may be disposed of by local landfill or carted away by a contract removal service.
