United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Industrial Environmental Research
Laboratory
Cincinnati OH 45268
Research and Development
EPA-600/S2-83-034/035 Aug. 1983
SEPA Project Summary
Survey of Industrial Applications
of Aqueous-Phase and Vapor-
Phase Activated Carbon
Adsorption for Control of Pollutant
Compounds from Manufacture
of Organic Compounds
W. L Troxler, C. S. Parmele, C A Barton, and F. D. Hobbs
This report summarizes two surveys
of acquired performance data on the
current use of activated carbon for
treating industrial wastewater and at-
mospheric emissions from the man-
ufacture of organic chemicals. Results
of the two surveys are reported in
separate reports.
The one report on aqueous-phase
applications includes full-scale, pilot
and laboratory granular and powdered
activated carbon performance data.
The data were quantified by measure-
ment of gross parameters such as BODg,
TOC, and COD.
The other report covers the industrial
use of activated carbon for vapor-phase
applications and includes a listing of
700-plus applications of vapor-phase
carbon systems. The data from this
survey can be used to identify potential
sampling sites where full-scale applica-
tions to remove a specific compound
are used, as well as to identify pilot-
scale data that are presently available
for given compounds.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Industrial Environmental Re-
search Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH, to
announce key findings of the research
project that is fully documented in two
separate reports (see Project Report
ordering information at back).
Introduction
The major objective of this study was to
gather performance data on the current
use of activated carbon for treating in-
dustrial wastewater and atmospheric emis-
sions from the manufacture of organic
chemicals. Adsorption by activated carbon
is recognized as an effective process for
the removal of many organic compounds
from wastewaters and vapor emissions,
some of which may be toxic or refractory.
Activated carbon systems are generally
tolerant of varying flow conditions.
Activated carbon adsorption cannot,
however, be used as a panacea. Some
classes of organic compounds are not
amenable to carbon adsorption. Others,
which may have low loading capacity, will
result in short carbon service time and
excessive regeneration costs. Weakly
adsorbed compounds may be temporarily
retained and subsequently displaced by
more strongly adsorbed compounds. These
limitations must be given serious con-
sideration when activated carbon is eval-
uated for removal of specific compounds
from industrial waste streams.
The work program for this investigation
included documentation of full-scale appli-
cations of activated carbon adsorption and
collection of data quantifying the effective-
ness of carbon adsorption in controlling
discharges from the organic chemical in-
dustry. Data from pilot and laboratory
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investigations were also collected to sup-
plement information gathered from full-
scale systems.
A complete listing of the data compiled
by this survey is contained in two reports:
one dealing with aqueous-phase and the
other with vapor-phase adsorption applica-
tions.
Survey Results
Aqueous-Phase Applications
The data collected for the aqueous-
phase adsorption report are divided into
five main categories:
1. Properties of activated carbons,
2. characteristics of the wastewater that
affect adsorption,
3. 49 pilot and laboratory granular acti-
vated carbon studies,
4. 53 full-scale granular activated carbon
studies, and
5. 1 2 pilot studies and full-scale appli-
cations of powdered activated carbon.
Performance data, as indicated by mea-
surement of gross parameters such as
BOD5, TOC, and COD, indicate that carbon
adsorption systems typically remove 70
percent to 90 percent of the organic
contamination from industrial wastewaters.
With the exception of phenol, the data on
removal of specific compounds by full-
scale granular activated carbon systems
for wastewater treatment are, in general,
very limited. Although a wide variety of
compounds have been reported in waste-
water streams being treated by carbon
adsorption, there are few cases where
both the operating characteristics of the
carbon adsorption system and the com-
position of the wastewater stream are well
defined. Although information regarding
performance data was often incomplete,
available data indicate that granular acti-
vated carbon adsorption may attain greater
than 9 5 percent removal of many different
compounds.
Organic removal varies extensively from
plant to plant and with time within a given
plant Differences in performance, as a
function of time, were attributed to varia-
tions in influent characteristics and changes
in activated carbon characteristics follow-
ing repeated regeneration cycles. Signifi-
cant differences in adsorptive capacity and
hydraulic behavior exist among different
activated carbons. To make valid compari-
sons among quantitative adsorption data,
it must be assured that these data were
generated under identical conditions.
Vapor-Phase Applications
To define the effectiveness of full-scale
vapor-phase activated carbon adsorption
applications in treating emissions from the
manufacture of organic chemicals, the
following criteria must be considered:
Type and amount of contaminant removed
Removal efficiency
Emission flowrate
Pretreatment requirements
Number of beds
Bed dimensions
Bed configuration
Superficial velocity
Type of carbon
Carbon exhaustion rate
Regeneration techniques
Utilities costs
Operating costs
Capital costs
These data were sought from many
sources, including carbon vendors, indus-
trial users, the open literature, and govern-
ment files. Most of the applications were
identified through searches of the files of
some state and federal agencies that have
data on emission control devices.
A listing of over 700 plant locations
employing adsorption systems is presented
and includes specific flow rate, chemicals
adsorbed, and sources of emission. The
survey was not limited to applications in
the organic chemicals manufacturing in-
dustry because the value of the data on
full-scale applications is not a function of
the industry in which adsorption is used.
Conclusions
No generalizations can be made about
the effectiveness or economics of adsorp-
tion as a control device, because the
availability of performance and cost data is
limited. In many cases, these data have
not been generated In others.the company
using adsorption has considered the data
"proprietary" or "confidential."
The condition of the data bases used as
resources for this survey makes it difficult
to estimate how many adsorption applica-
tions were not identified. All state and EPA
data bases are incomplete. Some data
files are being computerized to facilitate
data retrieval. Others have already been
computerized, but their usefulness and
completeness are limited by the criteria
used to decide which data to include.
When these data files are reviewed, cor-
rected, and updated they will become
more useful sources of information.
The data compiled by this survey can be
used as a tool to identify potential sampling
sites that use full-scale applications to
remove a given compound. The survey
can also be used to identify pilot-scale data
that are now available for given compounds.
I/I/. L. Troxler, C. S. Parmele, C. A. Barton, and F. D. Hobbs are with IT
Enviroscience. Inc.. Knoxville, TN 37923.
Ronald J. Turner is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
This Project Summary covers two separate reports entitled:
"Survey of Industrial Applications of Aqueous-Phase Activated-Carbon Adsorp-
tion for control of Pollutant Compounds from Manufacture of Organic
Compounds," (Order No. PB 83-200 188; Cost: $13.00, subject to change)
"Survey of Industrial Applications of Vapor-Phase Activated-Carbon Adsorp-
tion for Control of Pollutant Compounds from Manufacture of Organic
Compounds," (Order No. PB 83-200 618; Cost: $10.00, subject to change)
The above reports will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, OH 45268
>U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1983-659-017/7165
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