Effectiveness of Filtrasorb Activated Carbon in Removing Selected Pharmaceuticals from Water

This paper deals with the removal of selected micropollutants from water in the laboratory, namely the removal of pharmaceuticals using the sorption materials Filtrasorb F100 and Filtrasorb F400. A group of well-known and available pharmaceuticals was selected for the experiment, which were the over-the-counter analgesics Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Naproxen and Paracetamol. The model water was created by mixing drinking water from the water supply system of the city of Brno and standards of these pharmaceuticals prepared in the accredited laboratory of ALS Czech Republic. Water filtration was carried out through two filter columns, each filled with a different type of Filtrasorb sorbent. The filtered water was collected at selected time intervals (1, 2, 4 and 6 min) for analysis. The measurements showed that Filtrasorb F100 and Filtrasorb F400 activated carbons have comparable efficiency for the removal for Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Naproxen and Paracetamol (around 83%). Both activated carbons have proven to be reliable sorbents for the removal of selected micropollutants from water.