When algae or bacteria naturally increase in source water due to seasonal shifts, Geosmin and MIB readings can rise above that of the taste and odor threshold which leads to unsatisfactory drinking water (while taste and odor of the water is poor, the water does remain safe to drink).
Alternatively, geosmin is also attributed to why we like the smell of the air after a rain storm.
Humans can detect the smell of of geosmin at about 15 parts per trillion (15 nanograms per liter). To further illustrate, if you poured a teaspoon of geosmin into the amount of water that could fit into 200 olympic-sized swimming pools, you could still smell it.
What can be done about Geosmin and MIB?
During seasons of increased geosmin or MIB readings, a water treatment plant can reduce the amount of water taken from a newly affected source.
If that isn’t an option, powdered activated carbon dosing is successful in removing these naturally occurring compounds. In both testing and live applications, Aulick’s wood-based carbon has superior performance for geosmin and MIB removal.
Aulick’s Activated Carbon features, benefits, and technical specifications:
- provides excellent removal of TOC, essential for meeting DBP regulation and lowering chlorine demand
- BiolUnique pore distribution
- High micro-meso-macroporosity
- Excellent adsorption capacity
- Renewable raw material source
- Carefully controlled particle size
- ANSI/NSF 61 certified
- AWWA B604 certified
- Total ash content = max. 10%
- Moisture content = max. 10%
- Iodine adsorption = min. 1000 mg/g
- Gold’s number = 0.11
- Surface area (BET) = 1600 m2/g
