GAC is a miracle filter media.
GAC or granular activated carbon is a highly adsorbent material used to remove contamination from water. GAC has been known as a miracle filter media by many researchers. It has a unique ability to remove offensive tastes, odors, color, chlorine as well as volatile organic chemicals, pesticides and trihalomethanes (a group of suspected carcinogens). Briefly, granular activated carbon acts like a sponge, with a large surface area to absorb contaminants in the water. The surface area of one pound of granular activated carbon is equal to 125 acres. Many scientists believe this is a result of an affinity that these chemicals have for carbon because of
Van Der Waal forces
(kinda technical for me.) GAC is the preferred treatment and method recommended by the EPA to remove a host of potentially hazardous and possibly carcinogenic chemicals from our drinking water. A partial list of chemicals that are reduced or removed by GAC are:
| Organic | MCL | Source/Industrial occurrence | Health effect | | Chlorobenzene | 0.1 | Used as a solvent for paint and metal manufacturing. Also used in insecticides. | Affects nervous system, kidneys and liver. | | CIS-1,2 Dichloroethylene | 0.07 | Used as an industrial solvent in the manufacturing of dyes, perfumes and lacquers | Affects liver, and a nervous and circulatory systems. Probable cause of cancer. | | Dibromochloropropane | 0.0002 | Soil fumigant on soybeans, and cotton. Canceled in 1997. | Cancer | | Dioxin | 3E-08 | Chemical production by-product; impurity in herbicides. | Affects lungs, liver and kidney. Probable cause of cancer. | | Epichlorohydrin | 0 | Used in epoxy resins and coating, and in flocculants. | Affects nervous system, kidney and liver. | | Ethlbenzene | 0.7 | Used in the manufacture of gasoline, insecticides and asphalt | Probable cause of cancer | | Ethylene Dibromide | 0.00005 | Used as a gasoline additive and soil fumigant. | Affects nervous system, kidneys and liver. | | Monochlorobenzene | 0.01 | Used in manufacture of pesticides and as a metal cleaner and industrial solvent. | Cancer | | PAHs | 0.0002 | Coal tar coating, burnings organic matter, volcanoes, fossil fuels. | Cancer | | Phthalate | 0.006 | PVC and other plastics. | Affects skin and liver. Causes nausea. Probable cause of cancer. | | (di(2-ethylhexyl)) | | Polychlorinated | 0.0005 | Used in electrical transformers. | Affect nervous system, kidneys and liver. | | Biophenyts (PCBs) | | Styrene | 0.01 | Used in manufacturing plastic, resins and foams. | Affects nervous system. Probable cause of cancer and anesthesia | | Tetrachloroethylene | 0.005 | Used in dry cleaning and as a degreasing agent for metals. Also used for manufacturing rubber, waxes, paints and inks. | Affects nervous system, liver and kidneys. Causes narcosis. Irritant to respiratory system. | | Toluene | 1 | Used in gasoline, paint thinners, lacquers and adhesives. | Cancer | | | 0.01 | Formed when water containing organic matter is treated with chlorine. | Effects nervous system and muscles. Probable cause of cancer. | | Total Trihalomethanes | | (THM's): | | Chloroform | | Bromoform | | Bromodichloromethane | | Dibromochloromethane | | | | 1,1 Dichloroethylene | 0.007 | Used in manufacturing dyes, plastic, perfumes, paints and adhesives | Affects kidneys and liver and can cause nausea. | | 1,1,2-Trichloroethane | 0.005 | Solvent in rubber products, chemical production waste. | Kidney, liver, nervous system damage | | 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | 0.02 | Used in manufacturing of pesticides, plastic and metals. | Affects nervous system. Causes narcosis and probably cancer. | | 1,2 Dichlorobenzene | 0.6 | Used in the manufacturing of fumigants, insecticides, waxes, resins, rubber and asphalt | Affects lungs, liver and kidneys. | | 1,2 Dichloroethane | 0.005 | Used in the manufacturing of gasoline, paint, varnish, metal degreasers and insecticide fumigants | Damage kidney and liver can cause nausea | | 1,2 Dichloropropane | 0.005 | Used in insecticide fumigants, dry cleaning fluids and in manufacturing of resins, waxes and petroleum products | Affects lungs, liver and kidneys. | | 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | 0.07 | Herbicide production; dye carrier. | Liver, kidney damage | | 1,4 Dichlorobenzene | 0.075 | Used in moth repellent, germicides, pesticides and soil fumigants. | Affects nervous system, liver and kidneys. Probable cause of cancer. | | Acrytamide | 0 | Flocculants used in sewage and wastewater treatment. | Affect nervous system, probable cause of cancer. | | Adipates | 0.4 | Synthetic rubber, food packaging, cosmetics. | Decreased body weight; liver and testes damage. | | Benzene | 0.005 | Used in fuels and as a solvent in manufacturing pharmaceuticals, plastics, pesticides and paints. Often traced to leaking underground storage tanks. | Leukemia, anemia and possibly cancer | | Trans-1,2 | 0.1 | Used as an industrial solvent in the manufacturing of dyes, perfumes, lacquers and rubber. | Affects liver, and nervous and circulatory systems | | Dichloroethylene | | Trichloroethylene | 0.1 | Used in dry cleaning and as a degreasing agent. Also used for manufacturing rubber, paints, adhesives, resins, oils and fumigants. | Irritates body tissue. Affects nervous system. Probable cause of cancer. | | Vinyl Chloride | 0.005 | Used as a plastic adhesive and refrigerant. The main component of PVC pipe | Affects nervous system. Probable cause of cancer. | | Xyienes | 0.002 | Used in manufacturing paint, ink, petroleum and detergents. | Affects nervous system, kidneys, lungs, liver and mucous membranes. |
Following is a list of pesticides that GAC can removes from your drinking water:
Pesticides and Herbicides that GAC will remove
| Pesticides | MCL | Source/Industrial occurrence | Health effect | | | 10 | Agricultural insecticide | Affects nervous system, respiratory system, kidneys and liver. Probable cause of cancer. | | Aldicarb | 0.003 | | Aldicarb Sulfone | 0.002 | | Aldicarb Sulfoxide | 0.004 | | Carboturan | | | | | | Chlordane | 0.04 | Used on rodents, insects, birds. Restricted since 1980. | Affects nervous system, respiratory system, kidneys and liver. Probable cause of cancer | | Endrin | 0.0002 | Agricultural insecticide. | Liver, kidneys, heart damage. | | Heptachlor | 0.0004 | Agricultural insecticide. Converts to expoxide by soil and water organisms | Affects nervous system, respiratory system, kidneys and liver. Probable cause of cancer. | | Heptachlor Expoxide | 0.0002 | Pesticide production by-product. | Affects nervous system, respiratory system, kidneys and liver. Probable cause of cancer. | | Hexachlorobenzene | 0.001 | Pesticide production by-product. | Cancer | | Hexachlorocyclop -entadiene | 0.05 | Agricultural insecticide. | Cancer | | Lindane | 0.0002 | Agricultural insecticide. | Affects nervous system, respiratory system, kidneys and liver. Probable cause of cancer. | | Methoxychlor | 0.04 | Insecticide used on apples, potatoes, tomatoes. | Affects nervous system, respiratory system, kidneys and liver. Probable cause of cancer. | | Oxamyl | | Agricultural insecticide. | Kidney damage. |
Lastly a list of herbicides that GAC will remove from your families drinking water:
| Herbicides | MCL | Source/Industrial occurrence | Health effect | | | 0.07 | Agricultural herbicides | Affect nervous and reproductive system, respiratory system, kidneys, liver and heart. Causes anesthesia. Probable cause of cancer. | | 2,4-D | 0.05 | | 2,4,5-TP (silver) | 0.002 | | Alachlor | 0.003 | | Alrazine | | | | | | Dalapon | 0.2 | Herbicide used on orchards, beans, coffee, lawn, roads and railway. | Liver, kidney damage. | | Dinoseb | 0.007 | Runoff of herbicide from crop and non crop applications. | Thyroid, reproduction organ damage. | | Diquat | 0.02 | Runoff of herbicide on land and aquatic weeds. | Liver, kidneys, eye effects. | | Endothall | 0.01 | Used on crops, land and aquatic weeds. | Liver, kidney and gastrointestinal damage. | | Glyphosphate | 0.7 | Used on grass, weeds, brush | Liver, kidney damage | | Pentachlorophenol | 0.001 | Agricultural herbicide and wood preservative. | Affects nervous and reproductive system, respiratory system, kidneys, liver and heart. Causes anesthesia. Probable cause of cancer. | | Picloram | 0.5 | Used on broadleaf and woody plants. | Kidney, liver damage. | | Simazine | 0.004 | Used on grass sod, some crop, aquatic algae. | Cancer. |
Source: Water Technology, Directory Issue / 1995
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