What is the primary use of activated carbon in water treatment?

The primary use of activated carbon in water treatment is to control tastes and odors. Activated carbon is highly porous and provides a large surface area that can effectively adsorb a variety of organic compounds, chemicals, and impurities present in water. This absorption capability helps in removing substances that can cause undesirable tastes and odors, thus improving the overall quality of drinking water.

Activated carbon does not increase turbidity; rather, it is often used to help reduce turbidity levels in water. Its function is not to kill bacteria, as activated carbon primarily focuses on adsorption rather than disinfection. While it can assist in the removal of some contaminants that may harbor bacteria, it is not a direct bactericide. Furthermore, keeping chlorine in suspension is not the function of activated carbon, as chlorine is typically added to water to disinfect it, and its effectiveness is not dependent on the presence of activated carbon. Therefore, the significant role of activated carbon in controlling tastes and odors makes this answer the most accurate.