Activated carbon purifies sewage: an important technology in the field of environmental protection

With the rapid development of industrialization, water pollution problems have become increasingly serious, posing a huge threat to the ecological environment and human health. As an efficient and environmentally friendly sewage treatment material, activated carbon has been widely used in the field of sewage purification in recent years.

 

With the rapid development of industrialization, water pollution problems have become increasingly serious, posing a huge threat to the ecological environment and human health. As an efficient and environmentally friendly sewage treatment material, activated carbon has been widely used in the field of sewage purification in recent years. This article will discuss the important role of activated carbon in sewage purification from the basic characteristics of activated carbon, principles of sewage purification, application examples and future development trends.

 Specific treatment methods of activated carbon for wastewater

Wastewater activated carbon treatment is one of the wastewater adsorption treatment methods.

It is a method to remove various pollutants in wastewater by utilizing the properties of activated carbon such as physical adsorption, chemical adsorption, oxidation, catalytic oxidation and reduction.

For example, powdered activated carbon treatment method, which is also known as bio-physical treatment method, feeding aeration method. It is to put powdered activated carbon into the aeration tank, which not only makes full use of the wastewater treatment equipment, but also improves the treatment effect.

The removal of pollutants by this method is generally considered to be a synergistic effect of adsorption and microbial oxidative decomposition. The large number of micropores of activated carbon adsorbs oxygen in organic matter and wastewater, it provide a high concentration of nutrient source for the growth and reproduction of microorganisms, and the enzymes and coenzymes produced in the process of microbial metabolism are adsorbed and enriched in the micropores of activated carbon. In addition, the contact time between microorganisms and organic matter on the carbon is longer, which makes the organic matter that is difficult to degrade may also be decomposed by biological oxidation.

The powdered activated carbon treatment method generally includes three steps:

Intense mixing, so that the charcoal is quickly dispersed into the sewage. Contact adsorption and oxidation, so that the carbon is suspended in the sewage for suspension adsorption and oxidation. Liquid-solid separation, in which carbon is separated from the effluent and then regenerated.

The technology of powdered activated carbon for wastewater treatment is a single-stage contact system, that is, mixing, contact reaction, gravity precipitation are completed in the same equipment, and the residence time of activated carbon in the equipment is 2~5 days. This facilitates microbial activity and improves treatment results.

Adding a certain amount of powdered activated carbon to the sludge digestion tank can accelerate the sludge precipitation, purify the supernatant returned to the water treatment system, and improve the efficiency of the water treatment system. In addition, it can also promote the decomposition of sludge solids, eliminate foul odors, and improve the production capacity of equipment.

Application challenges of activated carbon in complex sewage treatment

Although activated carbon has shown excellent performance in sewage treatment, it still faces some challenges when treating complex sewage. First of all, there may be multiple pollutants in the sewage at the same time, such as heavy metal ions, organic matter and microorganisms. There may be competitive adsorption or synergy between them, which affects the purification effect of activated carbon. Secondly, the quality and quantity of sewage may fluctuate, requiring the activated carbon treatment system to have good adaptability and stability. Finally, activated carbon has limited adsorption capacity and needs to be replaced or regenerated regularly, which increases operating costs and management difficulty.

To overcome these challenges, researchers are exploring a variety of approaches. For example, by optimizing the combined application of activated carbon, building a multi-stage adsorption system or coupling it with other technologies to improve the treatment effect of complex sewage. At the same time, activated carbon regeneration technology is also being studied to reduce operating costs and achieve sustainable utilization of resources.

Future development trends of activated carbon purification of sewage

With the continuous improvement of environmental awareness and the continuous innovation of sewage treatment technology, the application of activated carbon in the field of sewage purification will show the following development trends:

Technological innovation: By improving the preparation process of activated carbon and optimizing the pore structure, the adsorption performance and stability of activated carbon are improved to meet higher requirements for sewage treatment.  

Combined application: Activated carbon can be combined with other sewage treatment technologies (such as biological treatment, membrane separation, etc.) to form an efficient and energy-saving combined sewage treatment system to improve the overall treatment effect.

Resource utilization: Study the regeneration and utilization technology of activated carbon in the process of purifying sewage, reduce the cost of using activated carbon, and realize the recycling of resources.

Intelligent management: With the help of modern information technologies such as the Internet of Things and big data, an intelligent management system for activated carbon purification of sewage is constructed to achieve real-time monitoring and optimization of the sewage treatment process.

In short, activated carbon, as an efficient and environmentally friendly sewage treatment material, has broad application prospects and research value in the field of sewage purification. Through continuous in-depth research and innovative application methods, it is believed that activated carbon will make greater contributions to future water resources protection and sustainable development.