A Utility Decision Tree for Cyanotoxin Treatment With Powdered Activated Carbon

The effectiveness of powdered activated carbon (PAC) at removing cyanotoxins depends on the specific toxin(s), water pH, and PAC source. A study showed that wood–lignite PAC adsorbed more cyanotoxin than bituminous coal–based PAC, and cyanotoxin removal was more effective at a higher pH. In this stu...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal - American Water Works Association 2023-11, Vol.115 (9), p.42-51
Main Authors: Walke, Divyani, Cutright, Teresa, Glowczewski, Jessica M., Lacy, Charles P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activated carbon
Decision trees
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The effectiveness of powdered activated carbon (PAC) at removing cyanotoxins depends on the specific toxin(s), water pH, and PAC source. A study showed that wood–lignite PAC adsorbed more cyanotoxin than bituminous coal–based PAC, and cyanotoxin removal was more effective at a higher pH. In this study, removal costs decreased as toxin concentration increased, and saxitoxin removal was less expensive when it was present with microcystin‐LR. A decision tree that balances treatment costs with toxin removal efficiency was developed to help water utilities.
ISSN:0003-150X
1551-8833
DOI:10.1002/awwa.2179