What does the term GAC refer to in water treatment?

• A. Gaseous Activated Compound
• B. Granulated Adsorbed Coal
• C. Granulated Activated Carbon
• D. Glucose Activated Carbon

Answer: (C)

In water treatment, GAC refers to a media used for adsorption to remove dissolved organics, tastes, and odors. GAC stands for Granulated Activated Carbon. The granulated form provides coarse grains that water can pass through while maximizing contact with a large surface area created by the activated carbon. The activation process creates many pores, giving carbon a high surface area to adsorb contaminants onto its surface.

This term is the standard way to describe this media in treatment systems. The other options don’t reflect the real terminology or the material: gaseous activated compound isn’t a recognized term in this context, granulated adsorbed coal isn’t how practitioners describe the material (activated carbon is the proper term), and glucose activated carbon isn’t a standard or accurate descriptor. Granulated Activated Carbon is the correct and widely used name.