Activated charcoal (also known as activated carbon) consists of small, black beads or a solid black porous sponge. It is used in water filters, medicines that selectively remove toxins, and chemical purification processes.
Activated Carbon Powder
Activated charcoal is carbon that has been treated with oxygen. The treatment results in highly porous charcoal. These tiny holes give the charcoal a surface area of 300-2,000 m2/g, allowing liquids or gases to pass through the charcoal and interact with the exposed carbon. The carbon adsorbs a wide range of impurities and contaminants, including chlorine, odors, and pigments. Other substances, like sodium, fluoride, and nitrates, are not as attracted to the carbon and are not filtered out.
Since adsorption works by chemically binding the impurities to the carbon, the active sites in the charcoal eventually become filled. Activated charcoal filters become less effective with use and have to be recharged or replaced.
What Activated Charcoal Will and Won’t Filter
The most common everyday use of activated charcoal is to filter water. It improves water clarity, diminishes unpleasant odors, and removes chlorine. It’s not effective for removing certain toxic organic compounds, significant levels of metals, fluoride, or pathogens. Despite persistent urban legend, activated charcoal only weakly adsorbs alcohol and it not an effective means of removal.
It will filter:
Chlorine
Chloramine
Tannins
Phenol
Some drugs
Hydrogen sulfide and some other volatile compounds that cause odors
Small amounts of metals, such as iron, mercury, and chelated copper
It won’t remove:
Ammonia
Nitrates
Nitrites
Fluoride
Sodium and most other cations
Significant amounts of heavy metals, iron, or copper
Significant amounts of hydrocarbons or petroleum distillates
Bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and other microorganisms
Activated Charcoal Effectiveness
Several factors influence the effectiveness of activated charcoal. The pore size and distribution varies depending on the source of the carbon and the manufacturing process. Large organic molecules are absorbed better than smaller ones. Adsorption tends to increase as pH and temperature decrease. Contaminants are also removed more effectively if they are in contact with the activated charcoal for a longer time, so flow rate through the charcoal affects filtration.
Activated Charcoal De-Adsorption
Some people worry that activated charcoal will de-adsorb when the pores become full. While the contaminants on a full filter aren’t released back into the gas or water, used activated charcoal is not effective for further filtration. It is true that some compounds associated with certain types of activated charcoal may leach into the water. For example, some charcoal used in an aquarium might start to release phosphates into the water over time. Phosphate-free products are available.
Recharging Activated Charcoal
Whether or not you can or should recharge activated charcoal depends on its purpose. It’s possible to extend the life of an activated charcoal sponge by cutting or sanding off the outer surface to expose the interior, which might not have fully lost its ability to filter media. Also, you can heat activated charcoal beads to 200 C for 30 minutes. This will degrade the organic matter in the charcoal, which can then be rinsed away, but it won’t remove heavy metals.
For this reason, it’s generally best to just replace the charcoal. You can’t always heat a soft material that has been coated with activated charcoal because it might melt or release toxic chemicals of its own, basically contaminating the liquid or gas you want to purify. The bottom line here is that you possibly could extend the life of activated charcoal for an aquarium, but it’s inadvisable to try to recharge a filter used for drinking water.
Activated charcoal may sound like a funny thing to put on your plate or lather on your face, but recently, it’s been appearing in everything from waffles and smoothies to face wash and toothpaste. Why?
activated charcoal
Many users believe the black powder can brighten teeth, temper body odor and help the body detox.
How effective is it?
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
The effectiveness ratings for ACTIVATED CHARCOAL are as follows:
Possibly effective for…
Poisoning. Activated charcoal is useful for trapping chemicals to stop some types of poisoning when used as part of standard treatment. Activated charcoal should be given within 1 hour after a poison has been ingested. It does not seem to be beneficial if given for 2 or more hours after some types of poisoning. And activated charcoal doesn’t seem to help stop all types of poisoning.
Insufficient evidence to rate effectiveness for…
Diarrhea caused by cancer drug treatment. Irinotecan is a cancer drug known to cause diarrhea. Early research shows that taking activated charcoal during treatment with irinotecan decreases diarrhea, including severe diarrhea, in children taking this drug.
Reduced or blocked flow of bile from the liver (cholestasis). Taking activated charcoal by mouth seems to help treat cholestasis in pregnancy, according to some early research reports.
Indigestion (dyspepsia). Some early research shows that taking certain combination products containing activated charcoal and simethicone, with or without magnesium oxide, can reduce pain, bloating, and feelings of fullness in people with indigestion. It’s unclear if taking activated charcoal by itself will help.
Gas (flatulence). Some studies show that activated charcoal is effective in reducing intestinal gas. But other studies don’t agree. It’s too early to come to a conclusion on this.
Hangover. Activated charcoal is included in some hangover remedies, but experts are skeptical about how well it might work. Activated charcoal doesn’t seem to trap alcohol well.
High cholesterol. So far, research studies don’t agree about the effectiveness of taking activated charcoal by mouth to lower cholesterol levels in the blood.
High levels of phosphate in the blood (hyperphosphatemia). Early research shows that taking activated charcoal daily for up to 12 months appears to reduce phosphate levels in people with kidney disease, including those on hemodialysis who have high phosphate levels.
Wound healing. Studies on the use of activated charcoal for wound healing are mixed. Some early research shows that using bandages with activated charcoal helps wound healing in people with venous leg ulcers. But other research shows that activated charcoal does not help treat bed sores or venous leg ulcers.
Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of activated charcoal for these uses.
How does it work?
Activated charcoal works by “trapping” chemicals and preventing their absorption.
Are there safety concerns?
When taken by mouth: Activated charcoal is LIKELY SAFE for most adults when taken by mouth, short-term. Taking activated charcoal long-term by mouth is POSSIBLY SAFE. Side effects taking activated charcoal by mouth include constipation and black stools. More serious, but rare, side effects are a slowing or blockage of the intestinal tract, regurgitation into the lungs, and dehydration.
When applied to the skin: Activated charcoal is LIKELY SAFE for most adults when applied to wounds.
Special precautions & warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Activated charcoal might be safe when used short-term if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, but consult with your healthcare professional before using if you are pregnant.
Gastrointestinal (GI) blockage or slow movement of food through the intestine: Don’t use activated charcoal if you have any kind of intestinal obstruction. Also, if you have a condition that slows the passage of food through your intestine (reduced peristalsis), don’t use activated charcoal, unless you are being monitored by your healthcare provider.
And while there may be truth to some of those claims, not every charcoal product is safe to use.
Many people are looking for ways to reduce inflammation and detox, so there’s a huge market for these products. The problem is, there’s no agency overseeing the safety or effectiveness of activated charcoal, and it’s not governed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Breaking Down the Facts on Activated Charcoal
Before you slip some activated charcoal in your morning protein shake, it’s important to note that activated charcoal is not the same as the charcoal you buy at Home Depot for your backyard barbeque, nor is it made from the same stuff as the char on your overdone toast. Instead, it comes from burning specific types of wood — including bamboo, birch and balsam — at super-high temperatures, then oxidizing it.
The particles left behind are almost pure carbon, so they’re able to suck up moisture and chemicals. But that doesn’t mean using it is safe or should be done without medical supervision.
Here are six facts you should know before you purchase anything with activated charcoal:
It draws out impurities. Charcoal has a rich history as a medical treatment. Its porous texture binds to toxins and prevents your body from absorbing them. That’s one reason it’s a staple in hospital emergency rooms. Doctors commonly use it as an antidote for food poisoning and drug toxicity.
Putting it in food can be dangerous. There’s no way of knowing what is in an activated charcoal product. It’s a completely uncontrolled industry, so it’s best to leave it out of your diet.
It’s abrasive. While activated charcoal is marketed as a tooth-whitening agent, it can be abrasive and ruin tooth enamel, particularly if it’s used on a regular basis.
It can bind to medications, vitamins and minerals. Activated charcoal does bind to chemical toxins to flush them out, but it also binds to nutrients. Take too much and you could compromise your nutrient status or interfere with the way your body absorbs medication. It can make blood pressure medication and even birth control pills less effective.
It can help patients with kidney disease. For patients with end-stage renal disease, activated charcoal may be a viable alternative to dialysis. The reason: It binds to urea and other toxins, reducing the number of waste products that filter through your kidneys. If you have kidney disease, talk to your doctor.
It can minimize body odor. For people who suffer from something called Fish Odor Syndrome, activated charcoal can bind to the stinky compounds the body produces and help reduce unpleasant odors.
The Bottom Line
Activated charcoal is still a largely unstudied and misunderstood compound and as far as safety goes, consumers are at the mercy of the manufacturer. Any chemical that has the potential to do good also has the potential to harm. Only use activated charcoal under the direction of a medical professional, particularly if you’re planning to ingest it.
Activated charcoal is a sponge-like substance that is made from different carbon-containing substances of natural origin. Activated Charcoal is charcoal that has been treated with oxygen. The treatment results in a highly porous charcoal. It is made at very high temperatures and as a result, activated charcoal is a substance which is almost one hundred percent composed of carbon.
The chemical composition of charcoal is very similar to graphite. Useful properties of activated charcoal can be contributed to the huge number of pores and hence activated charcoal exhibits very high absorbent and catalytic properties.
Activated carbon is used in methane and hydrogen storage, air purification, decaffeination, gold purification, metal extraction, water purification, medicine, sewage treatment, air filters in gas masks and respirators, filters in compressed air, teeth whitening, and many other applications.
Activated carbon industrial application
One major industrial application involves use of activated carbon in metal finishing for purification of electroplating solutions. For example, it is the main purification technique for removing organic impurities from bright nickel plating solutions. A variety of organic chemicals are added to plating solutions for improving their deposit qualities and for enhancing properties like brightness, smoothness, ductility, etc. Due to passage of direct current and electrolytic reactions of anodic oxidation and cathodic reduction, organic additives generate unwanted breakdown products in solution. Their excessive build up can adversely affect plating quality and physical properties of deposited metal. Activated carbon treatment removes such impurities and restores plating performance to the desired level.
Medical uses
Main article: Activated charcoal (medication)
activated Carbons for Medical Uses
Activated charcoal for medical use
Activated carbon is used to treat poisonings and overdoses following oral ingestion. Tablets or capsules of activated carbon are used in many countries as an over-the-counter drug to treat diarrhea, indigestion, and flatulence.
However, activated charcoal shows no effect of intestinal gas and diarrhea, and is, ordinarily, medically ineffective if poisoning resulted from ingestion of corrosive agents such as alkalis and strong acids, iron, boric acid, lithium, petroleum products, or alcohol. Activated carbon will not prevent these chemicals from being absorbed into the human body.
It is particularly ineffective against poisonings of strong acids or alkali, cyanide, iron, lithium, arsenic, methanol, ethanol or ethylene glycol.
Incorrect application (e.g. into the lungs) results in pulmonary aspiration, which can sometimes be fatal if immediate medical treatment is not initiated.
Activated Charcoal is a powerful tool for emergency cleansing of the gastrointestinal tract, perhaps the most effective remedy known today. It can be used in cases of poisoning from virtually any toxic substance. Activated charcoal reduces the absorption of poisonous substances up to 60%.
One teaspoon of activated charcoal has a surface area of approximately 10 000 square feet. It adsorbs and helps eliminate toxins, heavy metals, chemicals, pharmaceutical drugs, morphine, pesticides from your body.
Poisoning by various chemical substances, drugs, toxic heavy metals, alkaloids
Overall body detoxification
Food poisoning
Treating stomach pain caused by excess gas, diarrhea, or indigestion.
Body odor and bad breath
Hepatitis: chronic and acute viral
Withdrawal syndrome (as a rule, is used for drinking, not for drug addiction)
Intoxication caused by chemotherapy or radiotherapy
Various skin ailments
Inflammation
Helps lower cholesterol, triglycerides and lipids found in the blood.
Analytical chemistry applications
Activated carbon, in 50% w/w combination with celite, is used as stationary phase in low-pressure chromatographic separation of carbohydrates (mono-, di-trisaccharides) using ethanol solutions (5–50%) as mobile phase in analytical or preparative protocols.
Environmental applications
Activated carbon is usually used in water filtration systems. In this illustration, the activated carbon is in the fourth level (counted from bottom).
Activated carbon is usually used in water filtration systems. In this illustration, the activated carbon is in the fourth level (counted from bottom).
Carbon adsorption has numerous applications in removing pollutants from air or water streams both in the field and in industrial processes such as:
Spill cleanup
Groundwater remediation
Drinking water filtration
Air purification
Volatile organic compounds capture from painting, dry cleaning, gasoline dispensing operations, and other processes.
During early implementation of the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act in the US, EPA officials developed a rule that proposed requiring drinking water treatment systems to use granular activated carbon. Because of its high cost, the so-called GAC rule encountered strong opposition across the country from the water supply industry, including the largest water utilities in California. Hence, the agency set aside the rule. Activated carbon filtration is an effective water treatment method due to its multi-functional nature. There are specific types of activated carbon filtration methods and equipment that are indicated – depending upon the contaminants involved.
Activated carbon is also used for the measurement of radon concentration in air.
Agriculture uses
Activated carbon (charcoal) is an allowed substance used by organic farmers in both livestock production and wine making. In livestock production it is used as a pesticide, animal feed additive, processing aid, nonagricultural ingredient and disinfectant. In organic winemaking, activated carbon is allowed for use as a processing agent to adsorb brown color pigments from white grape concentrates.
Activated carbon has been used as a purification agent since ancient Egypt and India. It was introduced to the modern world via the sugar refineries of 1800s Europe, and its use quickly swept the globe. Rapidly evolving technology has led to its expansion ever since, and today activated carbon plays a key role in a vast number of industries, from wastewater treatment to pharmaceutical manufacturing. It is also used in agriculture to improve crop yields.
activated carbon adsorbs and removes targeted compounds along its vast surface area. Although it has been used in modern agriculture for only a decade or so, research shows that activated carbon can boost agriculture in several important ways.
Seed Protection
Fungicides and herbicides are absolutely essential to modern agriculture, preventing harmful species from taking over and destroying crops. Unfortunately, these products can also be damaging to newly planted seeds. When mixed with fertilizer or used to coat vulnerable seeds, activated carbon can ensure the survival of the vast majority of seeds. The surface chemistry of the activated carbon can even be manipulated to ensure the best pH for different types of seeds. In some cases, activated carbon can also be mixed into the soil to protect fields from accidental spills of fungicides or herbicides.
Time-Release Nutrient Delivery
Although most popular applications of activated carbon involve removing toxic or noxious compounds, activated carbon’s tremendous storage abilities also allow it to deliver helpful compounds on a timed basis. For agriculture, activated carbon can store nutrients that are essential to plant health and then release them over time. For example, activated carbon can be impregnated with ethylene, the naturally occurring hormone that causes plants to ripen. The ethylene can then be delivered to help all of the fruits in a crop ripen at the same time.
Herbicide Catalyst
Activated carbon is a powerful catalyst for oxidation, and can be used for this purpose in the production of herbicides. It is important to choose a powdered activated carbon (PAC) with strong characteristics of filtration and sedimentation. When specifically prepared for this purpose, PAC can help to create a highly effective herbicide.
Purification and Decolorization
Like any other chemical product, agrochemicals need to be pure and clean to create the desired results. Colorization also matters in consumer preferences, with homogeneously colored products being seen as more desirable. Activated carbon is used in the agrochemical industry to remove unwanted compounds and create the pure, decolorized products that consumers deserve.
Agriculture is a relative newcomer to the list of industries that have been revolutionized by the use of activated carbon. Yet research shows that it works across a wide range of agricultural applications. Activated carbon comes in many types and forms, each with its own unique characteristics. For the best results, it is important to consult with an activated carbon expert who can help you sort through the options and select just the right product to meet your needs.
Are you interested in purchasing activated carbon for a specific application? Do you require expert guidance in choosing the right impregnation for your needs? With more than 70 years of experience in the activated carbon industry, Oxbow Activated Carbon is proud to provide the most diverse line of activated carbon products on the market today. We provide both standard and custom impregnations, spent carbon disposal and reactivation, and numerous other specialized services. We pride ourselves on our individualized customer service, and we look forward to becoming your one-stop shop for all your activated carbon needs.
Distilled alcoholic beverage purification
Activated carbon filters (AC filters) can be used to filter vodka and whiskey of organic impurities which can affect color, taste, and odor. Passing an organically impure vodka through an activated carbon filter at the proper flow rate will result in vodka with an identical alcohol content and significantly increased organic purity, as judged by odor and taste.[citation needed]
Fuel storage
Research is being done testing various activated carbons’ ability to store natural gas[2][1] and hydrogen gas.[1][2] The porous material acts like a sponge for different types of gases. The gas is attracted to the carbon material via Van der Waals forces. Some carbons have been able to achieve bonding energies of 5–10 kJ per mol. The gas may then be desorbed when subjected to higher temperatures and either combusted to do work or in the case of hydrogen gas extracted for use in a hydrogen fuel cell. Gas storage in activated carbons is an appealing gas storage method because the gas can be stored in a low pressure, low mass, low volume environment that would be much more feasible than bulky on-board pressure tanks in vehicles. The United States Department of Energy has specified certain goals to be achieved in the area of research and development of nano-porous carbon materials. All of the goals are yet to be satisfied but numerous institutions, including the ALL-CRAFT program,[1][2][13]are continuing to conduct work in this promising field.
Gas purification
Filters with activated carbon are usually used in compressed air and gas purification to remove oil vapors, odor, and other hydrocarbons from the air. The most common designs use a 1-stage or 2 stage filtration principle in which activated carbon is embedded inside the filter media.
Activated carbon filters are used to retain radioactive gases within the air vacuumed from a nuclear boiling water reactor turbine condenser. The large charcoal beds adsorb these gases and retain them while they rapidly decay to non-radioactive solid species. The solids are trapped in the charcoal particles, while the filtered air passes through.
Chemical purification
Activated carbon is commonly used on the laboratory scale to purify solutions of organic molecules containing unwanted colored organic impurities.
Filtration over activated carbon is used in large scale fine chemical and pharmaceutical processes for the same purpose. The carbon is either mixed with the solution then filtered off or immobilized in a filter.
Mercury scrubbing
Activated carbon, often infused with sulfur[14] or iodine, is widely used to trap mercury emissions from coal-fired power stations, medical incinerators, and from natural gas at the wellhead. This carbon is a special product costing more than US$4.00 per kg.
Since it is often not recycled, the mercury-laden activated carbon presents a disposal dilemma. If the activated carbon contains less than 260 ppm mercury, United States federal regulations allow it to be stabilized (for example, trapped in concrete) for landfilling. However, waste containing greater than 260 ppm is considered to be in the high-mercury subcategory and is banned from landfilling (Land-Ban Rule). This material is now accumulating in warehouses and in deep abandoned mines at an estimated rate of 100 tons per year.
The problem of disposal of mercury-laden activated carbon is not unique to the United States. In the Netherlands, this mercury is largely recovered and the activated carbon is disposed of by complete burning, forming carbon dioxide (CO2).
Activated charcoal is used in the emergency treatment of certain kinds of poisoning. It helps prevent the poison from being absorbed from the stomach into the body. Sometimes, several doses of activated charcoal are needed to treat severe poisoning. Ordinarily, this medicine is not effective and should not be used in poisoning if corrosive agents such as alkalis (lye) and strong acids, iron, boric acid, lithium, petroleum products (e.g., cleaning fluid, coal oil, fuel oil, gasoline, kerosene, paint thinner), or alcohols have been swallowed, since it will not prevent these poisons from being absorbed into the body.
Some activated charcoal products contain sorbitol. Sorbitol is a sweetener. It also works as a laxative, for the elimination of the poison from the body.Products that contain sorbitol should be given only under the direct supervision of a doctor because severe diarrhea and vomiting may result.
Activated charcoal has not been shown to be effective in relieving diarrhea and intestinal gas.
Activated charcoal may be available without a doctor’s prescription; however, before using this medicine, call a poison control center, your doctor, or an emergency room for advice.
