How Carbon Water Filters Remove Contaminants

Carbon is one of the most powerful absorbents available and it has been used for many years as a means of removing impurities. The absorbing powers of carbon can be further enhanced by adding a slightly positive electrical charge. This is known as activated carbon, and it is used in many standard home water filters. As the water passes over the positively charged carbon, the negative ions of the contaminants are drawn to the surface of the carbon granules and removed from the water.

Activated carbon residential water filters typically use granular activated carbon (GAC) or powdered block carbon. Both work well for filtering and purifying but carbon block filters have been shown to remove more contaminants. Either type of activated carbon filters help reduce or remove a wide variety of contaminants, including:

• volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)
• pesticides and herbicides
• chlorine, radon, and other chemicals often found in tap water.

All of this protection comes in a relatively inexpensive package. You can purchase carbon filter systems that fit on your faucet for about $30, or you can choose a whole house water purification system that utilizes carbon filter technology for around $100.

However, unless they are densely compacted, most carbon block filters are not effective at removing heavy metals or bacteria. For this reason, many people consider combining carbon filters with one of the other types of water purification systems.

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