Ultrasonic regeneration of activated carbon from used water filter cartridges

The activated carbon adsorption process is a widely used solution for removing various types of pollutants from the environment. Unfortunately, the used adsorbent becomes waste and thus represents a nuisance. The regeneration of the adsorbent, proposed by our in-house composition, which can then be reused to remove contaminants, may become a partial solution to this issue. Activated carbon was extracted from used water filter cartridges used in filter jugs. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of ultrasonic regeneration of activated carbon. A jug filter was used by filtering tap water with bisphenol A (BPA). The concentration of BPA in the test water was 1 mg/L. The purification efficiency decreased by 50% after filtering 100 L of test water. In the next stage of the study, activated carbon was subjected to ultrasonic regeneration in an ultrasonic disintegrator. To determine the optimal regeneration conditions, it was carried out at different times, i.e. 2.5 min, 5 min, 10 min, 20 min, and vibration amplitudes of 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%. For activated carbon regenerated in this way, its sorption capacity for the removal of BPA from water was investigated. The results of this study showed that activated carbon could be a suitable adsorbent for the removal of BPA from aqueous solutions. Furthermore, the ultrasonic process showed a high regeneration capacity of activated carbon.