Do you know about different types of Activated Charcoal?

While reading this blog and seem to be interested in knowing about Activated Charcoal, I bet you had already been using activated charcoal for a long no. What you used it for? Skin, Food, or Hairs? There are multiple uses, but do you know just like multiple uses there are multiple types and forms too of Activated Charcoal. You must know about Different types of Activated Charcoal, or what technically be called as Activated Carbon. 

There are multiple types and forms of Activated Charcoal to be used for different purposes and have different application methods.

Different types of Activated Charcoal : 

Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) - 

As the name suggests, this kind of activated carbon comes in the powder form. This Activated Charcoal consists of very tiny carbon particles of size less than 0.18 mm, fine enough to pass through an 80-mesh sieve. The tiny particle size has its restriction of using it alone, as a lite air can turn it into dust. It is preferred to be used in the filters, in wet form, or by making a paste form by dissolving in a liquid. Also, the PAC is a non-recyclable from of Activated carbon, making it not suitable to be used in the ways that require a lot of it.

Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) - 

The GAC gets a size up compared to the first one. It has irregularly shaped particles of size 0.2 to 5mm. They specialize in the absorption of gases and vapours, thus, making them a good pick for water purifying and air purifying, and also smell absorbent. 

Extruded Activated Carbon (EAC) - 

Going more further and going more bigger in size you will Find EAC. The cylinder-shaped Carbon particles having a size of diameter from 0.8 to 5 mm. Few properties like having a minimal dust creation, low-pressure drop, and high mechanical strength makes them best for gas phase applications. The EAC an also be made by putting PAC into a binder.

There are more natural and many more artificial forms of Activated Charcoal, the above mentioned 3 are the most basic and ideal one. The Application and benefits of the Activated charcoal differ with its size and shape. The powered Carbon is the most common in the market and is used for most of the skin and beauty purposes, while the Granular Carbon is used more for water and air purification purposes in the home. 

Know some of the rarely occurring Side Effects of Activated Charcoal!

Till now we have heard a lot about the benefits of the Activated Charcoal. Whatever you use the activated charcoal for, it will give you some magical results, but there is nothing perfect, everything has some flaws. Usually, you will notice no side effects while using activated charcoal, but as you know, the excess of anything is harmful. Charcoal may have few and rarely occurring side effects that may not be a reason for you to stop using it, but can, of course, require you to consult a doctor. It is always advised to consult a doctor before starting any new medicine or treatment, that’s the same case with Charcoal, if you are on treatment or if planning to take charcoal for internal benefits, you must consult a doctor first. Let’s discuss the side effects of Activated Charcoal.

Side Effects of Activated Charcoal: -

·         The black Poop: - Yes it may sound funny, but it is a real thing. When you take activated charcoal, it works by binding with the proteins and substances present in your stomach. Thus, if taken near to anytime when you had or will have food can result in your stools being black in color.

·         Nausea & Vomiting: - Side effects are very rare with the activated charcoal, but if there are any; nausea and vomiting are one of the most common among those. The wrong intake of activated charcoal can cause vomiting and Nausea in some cases. It only happens due to the wrong way of taking, wrong time, or not having the proper information of the need.

·         Constipation: - Due to its properties of getting involved in your digestion, activated charcoal can have side effects on your digestion cycle. One of the likely side effects are Constipation, though, it can be easily avoided or treated by consulting the doctor.

·         Pain or swelling in the Stomach: - It is one of the very rare side effects and might not need any medical attention. Followed by the above-mentioned side effects, the activated charcoal can make your stomach swell and pain to a little extent. However, it is supposed to be ok as your body starts getting used for medicine.

The Activated Charcoal is easily one of the safest medicines for any kind of treatment, any of the above-mentioned side effects do not occur normally. But, in certain cases like taking the wrong amount, taking at the wrong time, or including it with a previously going on treatment may be some causes of you suffering some not so serious side effects. So, it's better to take care of and consult a doctor before.