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Odor Control With Activated Charcoal PDF
Odor Control With Activated Charcoal PDF
Norman R. Rowe
To cite this article: Norman R. Rowe (1963) Odor Control with Activated Charcoal, Journal of the
Air Pollution Control Association, 13:4, 150-153, DOI: 10.1080/00022470.1963.10468157
Wrganic vapors are a major tested—purifying the open air. In some odor is by an adsorption, usually hy
source of atmospheric pollution. They fruit groves, tests are currently being means of activated charcoal. A good
are directly responsible for a multitude conducted to demonstrate the feasibility grade of activated charcoal adsorbs most
of odors, and they can also supply to of using activated charcoal to remove of the organic vapors which comprise the
the atmosphere material that may react pollutants from the atmosphere in and worst odors, without difficulty."
to form even less desirable components, around entire orchards.
Air pollution can be caused by (1) Scentometer
such as smog.
An odor is truly an elusive thing. particulate matter, such as dust; (2) At the 52nd annual meeting of the
You can't see it, even with the strongest vapor or gas, such as organic solvent APCA (Los Angeles, 1959) a paper was
microscope, and its weight can be vapors; or (3) a combination of vapor presented on odor determination
measured only by complicated means. and particles, such as smoke. Activated techniques for pollution control. It
It requires only a very small amount of charcoal may be used to remove the described an instrument being
vapor of certain chemical compounds in vapor component of polluted air. Ad- developed at the time, called a Scen-
the air to produce an odor. The order sorption is not in itself a method of tometer. Recently this instrument has
of one part of vapor per million of air is disposal, but a means of concentration— been perfected and is now commercially
typical. so that the contaminants removed will available. The Scentometer can be used
The quantity of vapor that is just be in a form that will facilitate disposal. to determine the order of magnitude of
barely perceptible as odor is called the Methods of final disposal for organic the concentration, discernible in free
odor threshold. Ordinarily, it requires vapors are reuse (or sale), burning, or air, of an odiferous vapor. The instru-
about 10 times that concentration to discharge into a sewer. ment is essentially a rectangular
give a definite sensation of odor, and Use of activated charcoal for odor plastic box containing two chambers of
another 10-fold increase before the odor control permits one or more of the activated charcoal with odorous air
is considered strong. Many odiferous following results: (1) purification of out- inlets connected to mixing chambers
gases and vapors are poisonous, and side air used for inside ventilation or and nasal outlets (Fig. 1.) The principle
there is a limit to the concentrations that pressurizing; (2) recovery of values from of operation is that air is drawn through
the human body can tolerate under long vapors present in the exhausts; (3) the two activated charcoal beds, making
exposure. Tables of maximum allow- increased safety by removing com- it odor free, and then mixed with
able concentrations are found in the bustible or toxic vapors from exhaust contaminated air, so as to produce a
ASHRAE Guide, Table II, page 126 of air; (4) prevention of atmospheric threshold concentration of the offending
the 1961 edition, as well as other pollution by removing contaminants odor. The odorous air inlet that has to
ventilating manuals. before exhausting to atmosphere, there- be used to produce this dilution indicates
Most organic vapors—including by promoting better public relations; the approximate concentration of the
industrial solvents, vent gases, and and (5) prevention of restrictions of odor being determined.
process fumes—can be eliminated and, industrial operations by local pollution
in many cases, recovered for sale or reuse ordinances.
by adsorption in activated charcoal. A The bureau of standards has issued a
typical good quality activated charcoal circular (No. 491) on control of odors.
can trap up to 50% of its own weight in This is a good general summary and is
odors, fumes, noxious gases, radioactive as follows:
vapors. The use of activated charcoal
applies the well-known gas-mask "Beyond question the most important
principle to odor problems. method of gas analysis employed is the
sense of smell. One compact but
amazingly intricate apparatus for the
Control Methods purpose is possessed by every human
A system using activated charcoal being. Although smelling has impor-
can be highly efficient where employed tant limitations, the chief of which is
in either of two basic control methods. that it is never quantitative, it has many
The pollutants can be removed as they advantages over other means of analysis.
are exhausted from an industrial plant The apparatus is nearly always in
or processing area into the atmosphere, position to obtain the sample of greatest
or they can be removed from con- immediate interest to the analyst. The
taminated air as it passes into intakes or sampling is automatic, and the analysis
ventilating systems at the point of air is capable of distinguishing between and
use. A third method is now being field correctly reporting the large variety of
chemical substances by a single
* Presented at the 55th Annual Meeting operation.
of APCA, Sheraton-Chicago Hotel, Mav "Except in a few cases, the most
20-24, 1962, Chicago, Illinois. practicable method of concentrating the Fig. 1.