Can someone explain, what exactly is activated charcoal?
Activated charcoal is formed from materials such as nut hulls or peach pits. The materials are heated in a steam atmosphere. This causes the charcoal formed to be extremely pitted, When it is ground up to a course powder or slightly larger, the surface area per gram of the material is very high. Undesirable pollutants can be adsorbed on these surfaces. In the military, charcoal can be treated with special chemicals that can react with reactive war gases. Activated charcoal can be retreated, but this is not recommended at home. I don’t know if there is a recycle program; generally, reprocessed charcoal is not as effective the second time around, and it may not meet the manufacturer’s specs.
