Rapid adsorption pretreatment with submicrometre powdered activated carbon particles before microfiltration

Manufacturer-supplied powdered activated carbon (PAC) was ground to produce submicrometre particles (0.8 and 0.6 m median diameter) for use as an adsorbent before microfiltration (MF) for drinking 0 water treatment. Batch tests revealed that the microground PAC adsorbed natural organic matter (NOM) much more rapidly and had a higher adsorptive capacity than ordinary PAC. The water samples pretreated with the submicrometre PAC were subjected to MF, and the results of experiments with different PAC contact times revealed that a 1 min retention time was sufficient for adsorptive removal of NOM. The use of submicrometre PAC permitted not only shorter PAC contact times but also a 75% reduction in dose.