In order to make the water suitable for discharge or for use in manufacturing processes, activated carbon filtration is employed to remove organic compounds and/or free chlorine in the water. The removal of organic matter (such as humic and fulvic acids) from drinking water prevents the chlorine in the water from chemically reacting with the acids and forming trihalomethanes, which are known carcinogens.
However, as with any water treatment process, activated carbon (AC) filtration will not remove all possible contaminants. For example, AC filtration is not effective for removing sodium, microorganisms, fluoride, and nitrates. AC filters don't make the water softer. Also, a specific type of activated carbon water treatment can remove heavy metals (eg lead) and this is usually only used in residential point of use filters.
