CHARACTERIZING FILTER MEDIA MINERAL COATINGS

Fundamental analytical techniques from the geological sciences were em ployed to characterize the surface coatings found on anthracite and sa nd filter media from a variety of full-scale water treatment facilitie s. Attempts were made to relate the presence of various chemical surfa ce coatings to the process chemistry used at the facility, the presenc e of various chemical species (e.g., manganese) in the raw water, or b oth. The authors also considered the role that such chemical oxide sur faces may play in the overall performance of filtration systems.