Presentation by AquaBlok at WEDA Pacific Chapter Meeting in Newport Beach, CA

2026 WEDA Pacific Chapter Meeting
October 20 – 22, 2026 at Renaissance Newport Beach Hotel in Newport Beach, CA

Presentation:
Use of Activated Carbon for Improved Sediment Remediation Outcomes – Addressing Key Issues in the Treatability Testing, Numerical Modeling, and Approaches for Application

Presented by John Collins, General Manager/COO at AquaBlok, Ltd., This presentation will provide an overview of recent independent test programs that evaluated the performance differences between PAC and GAC.  The kinetics and equilibrium capacity information can be used to evaluate the implications for a range of applications.  Actual examples of prior applications will be presented with a focus on the reason for the use of AC and resulting outcomes.

It has become apparent that the particle size of the activated carbon imposes a significant influence over both the kinetics (i.e., speed) of activated carbon adsorption as well as the maximum equilibrium capacity (i.e., the amount of contaminant removed).  Multiple examples of actual performance data to support these conclusions exist while little information for performance of GAC has been documented in the literature.  The performance of PAC for sediment remediation opens many potential uses/applications that offer the potential to improve outcomes in a cost-effective manner.