This article discusses the carbon adsorption method (CAM) as a useful approach in studying the nature and quantity of synthetic organic chemicals in water. In this technique, organic contaminants are removed from water by adsorption on columns of activated carbon. The sampling rate is normally 0.5 gpm, which is comparable to about 10.2 gallons per square foot per minute. The contaminants are desorbed from the carbon by sequential extraction with chloroform and alcohol and concentrated to yield a carbon chloroform extract (CCE) and a carbon alcohol extract (CAE). An assumption in the proposed experiments was that comparable results would be obtained from carbon columns operated similarly in parallel. An additional experimental run showed the variation between parallel carbon columns to be plus or minus 2 per cent. Next, a series of experiments was carried out with sampling rates and volumes varied. The loaded carbon samples were extracted by the standard procedure, and the resulting extracts were compared on a basis of concentration per unit of flow through. These data emphasize the importance of contact time and show that both lower sampling rates and volumes are desirable for maximum yield utilization of the CAM as a monitoring technique to measure organic contaminants in water.

EPA, AWWA, and WPCF sponsored a workshop to define and establish priorities and provide direction for a potable reuse research program. This article highlights the conclusions and recommendations of the various workshop groups in dealing with the topics of wastewater treatment, treatment reliability and quality control, health effects associated with inorganic pollutants, organic pollutants, and biological pollutants, and socio‐economic considerations.