Controlling Algae in Traditional Water Treatment Plants with 'Fine Particles'

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] A technology to tackle the troublesome algal bloom phenomenon at water purification plants during the summer has been developed by domestic researchers. They developed a material by grinding powdered activated carbon into smaller particles to enhance its adsorption capacity for substances derived from algal blooms. Using this activated carbon allows for quick and effective removal of algal blooms even in conventional water purification plants.

On the 15th, the research team led by Dr. Kyunggeun Song from the Water Resources Circulation Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology announced that they developed a water purification process capable of effectively treating taste and odor substances and toxic substances caused by algal blooms within existing conventional water purification processes, without the need for additional advanced treatment facilities.

The team developed powdered activated carbon with an increased adsorption rate. This activated carbon is made by grinding existing powdered activated carbon into smaller particle sizes. The smaller particles have more microscopic pores on their surface, which directly enhances the adsorption function for substances derived from algal blooms. The research team confirmed that compared to commercially available powdered activated carbon, the adsorption rate for taste and odor substances and toxic substances caused by algal bloomsis significantly faster (increased by 20% to 150% depending on the substance).

Dr. Kyunggeun Song stated, "The new powdered activated carbon can be manufactured by a simple method and has a fast adsorption rate, making it possible to respond stably to algal blooms in existing conventional water purification plants where securing sufficient contact time is difficult, without installing expensive facilities." He added, "If this water purification technology is widely adopted, it is expected to greatly help alleviate public concerns about tap water."

Meanwhile, the research results were published in the latest issue of Water Research, an academic journal in the field of water resources.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.