PFAS · Treatment and Residuals
How Does Activated Carbon Treat PFAS?
Granular activated carbon holds PFAS on a porous surface. Results depend on PFAS type, carbon, contact time, organic matter, other chemicals, pretreatment, heat, and load. It often holds long-chain PFAS better than short-chain PFAS.
Wastewater solids and organic matter can foul the bed and consume capacity. Operators track pressure loss, flow, sample results, and breakthrough. Lead-lag vessels allow the second bed to protect treated water as the first approaches exhaustion.
Spent carbon must be replaced, regenerated, treated, or disposed of through an approved route. Regeneration and thermal management require evidence for the actual material and process. Write down the media lot, changeout date, mass, destination, and analytical data.
Key point: Carbon performance is a breakthrough curve, not a permanent percent removal.
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PFAS in Wastewater: Sources, Sampling, Source Control, and Residuals
This page comes from the course. It covers PFAS sources in the sewershed, how PFAS moves through a treatment plant, sampling and lab methods, source control, treatment residuals and biosolids, one step at a time, with short knowledge checks and a certificate of completion.
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