Chlorite is the dominant degradation byproduct of chlorine dioxide reactions. Compliance with
the maximum concentration of 700 µg/L established by new Italian regulations for drinking water
can be achieved by reducing chlorine dioxide dosage during water treatment or by removing
chlorite. This work investigated granular activated carbon (GAC) as a technology for chlorite
removal. Research focused specifically on the interference between chlorite and organic
matter removal on GAC active sites and the applicability of a "chemical regeneration" process
to improve GAC removal efficiency for organic matter and chlorite. Batch and column tests
were performed on both distilled water and surface water spiked with chlorite, virgin,
exhausted, and thermally regenerated carbon provided by a surface water treatment plant,
and exhausted GAC after chemical regeneration by means of acid, base, and base-acid
solutions. Results demonstrated that GAC can be an efficient method for chlorite removal. Includes 12 references, tables, figures.