ABSTRACT
In the field of wastewater treatment, activated carbon adsorption is a relatively new but essentially proven technology, which water pollution control specialists should be capable of applying when the appropriate technical and economic conditions prevail. In view of the need for expertise in applying carbon adsorption, it is important that those charged with designing a wastewater treatment system understand the means of formulating study programs to evaluate the feasibility of carbon adsorption, and in developing the design parameters for commercial adsorption systems. Efficient carbon adsorption design is achieved when the wastewater and granular activated carbon are contacted in a countercurrent mode. Pretreatment is generally conducted via an independent step, after which the wastewater is placed in the carbon unit feed container. The performance monitoring program for the dynamic studies must be designed to yield sufficient and accurate data which can be analyzed and interpreted for process design parameter selection.
