Iodine number, BET surface area, taste and odour compound isotherms, and trace capacity number tests were used to rank five different granular activated carbons according to thermodynamic adsorption performance. These tests were compared to expected activated carbon service life and loading results of rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCTs) run with water from two lake sources spiked with geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB). Trace capacity number, used to specifically identify high adsorption energy sites on activated carbon, was hypothesized to be correlated to geosmin/MIB breakthrough and loading performance of different activated carbons. This study found no such clear correlation. However, when only bituminous coal activated carbons were considered, correlations to MIB breakthrough were strengthened. Natural organic matter (NOM) adversely affected adsorption, resulting in decreased RSSCT throughput to breakthrough in surface water with higher total organic carbon (TOC). Methods for improving characterization tests and RSSCTs when NOM is present are discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/29627 |
| Date | 25 August 2011 |
| Creators | Smith, Kyla Miriam |
| Contributors | Hofmann, Ronald |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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