Challenges and Related Solutions for Adsorption Processes

The effectiveness of adsorption technologies for achieving treatment-targeted levels of removal of undesirable organic contaminants from source waters is often constrained by the virtually universal presence in available source waters of natural organic matter (NOM) constituents. These quasi-dissolved NOM constituents are themselves generally adsorbed by such common micro porous adsorbents as activated carbons and synthetic resins. In that process the NOMs cause adsorbent fouling that reduces adsorbent effectiveness for removal of targeted undesirable organic compounds. Case studies characterizing manifestations and quantifying levels of such NOM effects are presented, and an innovative viable approach to their resolution is described and discussed.