Activated Carbon Market for Water Treatment - A Global and Regional Analysis: Focus on Application, Product, and Regional Analysis - Analysis and Forecast, 2025-2035

Activated Carbon Market for Water Treatment Overview

Activated carbon is produced either as virgin material from coal, coconut shell, or wood, or via reactivation of spent carbon. The industry value chain spans raw-material pyrolysis, activation, pelletising or milling, application engineering, and closed-loop regeneration. Virgin and reactivated carbons serve complementary roles, such as virgin grades deliver high initial adsorption capacity, while reactivation reduces waste and cost by restoring exhausted media up to ten times. Technological R&D focuses on tailored pore-size distributions for PFAS and micro-organics, steam-efficient rotary-kiln reactivation, and digital sensors that optimise breakthrough cycles. Regulatory tightening and sustainability goals are accelerating investment in bio-based feedstocks and low-energy activation routes.

Introduction of Activated Carbon for Water Treatment Market

Activated carbon produced from coal, coconut shell, wood, or reactivated spent media is one of the industry’s prominent adsorbents for removing dissolved organics, chlorine by-products, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and micro-plastics from municipal and industrial water. Global demand is accelerating as governments tighten quality standards and utilities invest in advanced filtration. BIS Research values the market at US $xx billion in 2025, rising to US$7.85 billion by 2035 at a 9.1 % CAGR, driven by escalating infrastructure spend, reuse projects, and sustainability mandates.

However, adoption of these solutions remains inconsistent, particularly in environments where capital budgets are limited or there is a scarcity of skilled operators.

Market Introduction

Activated carbon functions as a high surface area adsorbent capable of removing dissolved organics, chlorine by-products, pesticides, VOCs, and persistent PFAS compounds from municipal and industrial water. Its versatility across granular, powdered, and extruded forms allows deployment in fixed-bed filters, slurry contacts, or hybrid biological-activated processes, delivering reliable polishing performance even at low contaminant concentrations.

Industrial Impact

The activated-carbon market for water treatment is experiencing robust expansion as utilities, industries, and regulators seek cost-effective, high-performance methods to remove trace organics, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and emerging contaminants from drinking water and wastewater. Pressure to meet strict quality standards, such as the U.S. EPA’s 2024 PFAS maximum-contaminant levels and the EU Urban Waste-Water Directive upgrades, drives adoption of granular and powdered activated-carbon (GAC and PAC) systems for both new builds and retrofits. Advances in carbon activation, pore-size tailoring, and catalytic surface modification are boosting adsorption efficiency, extending bed life, and reducing operational costs, making activated carbon an attractive solution alongside membranes and advanced oxidation.

At the same time, utilities and industrial users are prioritizing sustainability as reactivation technologies restore spent carbon up to ten cycles, cutting virgin-material use by up to 70 % and lowering life-cycle CO? emissions. Investment momentum is reinforced by carbon suppliers by building regional reactivation hubs, introducing bio-based coconut-shell grades, and offering carbon-as-a-service rental fleets. With global water-infrastructure funding accelerating and the need for resilient, circular treatment processes rising, the activated-carbon market is positioned for significant growth, playing a critical role in safeguarding public health, enabling water reuse, and supporting industrial compliance with evolving environmental regulations.

Market Segmentation:

Segmentation 1 : by End-Use Industry

Municipal Water Treatment
Food and Beverages
Pharmaceutical and Medical
Mining and Metal Recovery
Chemical Industry
Textile Industry
Others

Municipal Water Treatment to Lead the Market (by End-Use Industry)

Municipal water treatment has been leading the end-use segment of the market, driven by the growing global demand for safe and clean drinking water. Municipalities are increasingly adopting activated carbon to remove contaminants such as chlorine, heavy metals, and organic pollutants, thereby ensuring compliance with stringent water quality regulations. The need to provide high-quality water to large populations has driven municipalities to invest in reliable and efficient filtration technologies.

Segmentation 2: by Application

Liquid-Phase Adsorption
Gas-Phase Adsorption

Liquid-Phase Adsorption to Lead the Market (by Application)

Liquid-phase adsorption has been leading the application segment of the activated carbon market for water treatment as it effectively removes a wide range of contaminants from water, including organic compounds, chlorine, and dissolved metals. This method is highly efficient and adaptable for various water treatment processes, making it suitable for both municipal and industrial applications. The increasing demand for safe drinking water and the need to meet stringent water quality standards have further boosted the demand for liquid-phase adsorption. Additionally, activated carbon’s ability to provide high-performance filtration with minimal maintenance contributes to its dominance in liquid-phase applications. The cost-effectiveness and proven reliability of this technique spur its demand in water purification.

Segmentation 3: by Activated Carbon Type

Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC)
Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)
Others

Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) to Lead the Market (by Activated Carbon Type)

Granular activated carbon (GAC) has been leading the activated carbon type segment of the activated carbon market for water treatment due to its high adsorption capacity and ability to remove a broad spectrum of contaminants, such as organic compounds, chlorine, and volatile organic chemicals. GAC's porous structure allows for effective filtration over extended periods, making it ideal for large-scale water treatment systems. Its versatility in both municipal and industrial applications, along with its proven reliability and cost-effectiveness, drives its widespread adoption. Moreover, GAC can be easily regenerated and reused, providing long-term sustainability in water treatment processes, which further enhances its market dominance.

Segmentation 4: by Region

North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
Rest-of-the-World

Recent Developments in the Activated Carbon Market for Water Treatment

Since 2021, the sector has seen notable consolidation and capacity expansion. DESOTEC’s acquisition of Evoqua’s U.S. reactivation assets created the first trans-Atlantic mobile-filtration platform, Kuraray strengthened its Southeast-Asian position by purchasing Sprint Environmental’s reactivation business, and Donau Carbon secured upstream charcoal supply via Kalpa Char (India). Concurrently, product innovation focuses on PFAS-selective carbons and digital monitoring solutions that extend bed life and reduce operating costs.

How can this report add value to an organization?

Product/Innovation Strategy: The study dissects demand by carbon type (GAC, PAC, others), by application (liquid-phase adsorption, gas-phase adsorption), and end-use industry (municipal water treatment, food and beverages, pharmaceutical and medical, mining and metal recovery, chemical industry, textile industry, and others). It outlines advances in pore-engineering that enhance PFAS uptake and highlights trends in renewable feedstocks, providing R&D teams with insights to align new grades with high-growth market segments.

Growth/Marketing Strategy: Regional breakouts reveal Asia-Pacific’s outsized volume growth, North America’s PFAS-driven retrofits, and Europe’s circular-economy incentives. Market-share tables identify key incumbents and the service gaps they leave, guiding go-to-market plans for emerging suppliers or technology partners.

Competitive Strategy: Profiles of Kuraray/Calgon, Jacobi, Haycarb, Norit, Donau, and DESOTEC map capacities, reactivation footprints, and recent acquisitions so corporate strategists can benchmark M&A or partnership targets. Pricing-forecast and patent-filing analyses inform negotiation baselines and IP positioning.

Research Methodology

Data Sources

Primary Data Sources

The primary sources involve industry experts from the global activated carbon market for water treatment and various stakeholders in the ecosystem. Respondents such as CEOs, vice presidents, marketing directors, and technology and innovation directors have been interviewed to obtain and verify both qualitative and quantitative aspects of this research study.

The key data points taken from primary sources include:

validation and triangulation of all the numbers and graphs
validation of report segmentation and key qualitative findings
understanding the competitive landscape
validation of the numbers of various markets for the market type
percentage split of individual markets for geographical analysis

Secondary Data Sources

This research study utilizes extensive secondary research, including directories, company websites, and annual reports. It also makes use of databases, such as Hoovers, Bloomberg, Businessweek, and Factiva, to collect useful and effective information for an extensive, technical, market-oriented, and commercial study of the global market. In addition to the data sources, the study was done with the help of other data sources and websites, such as the World Economic Forum, OICA, ACEA, and IEA.

Secondary research was done to obtain crucial information about the industry’s value chain, revenue models, the market’s monetary chain, the total pool of key players, and the current and potential use cases and applications.

The key data points taken from secondary research include:

segmentations and percentage shares
data for market value
key industry trends of the top players in the market
qualitative insights into various aspects of the market, key trends, and emerging areas of innovation
quantitative data for mathematical and statistical calculations

Data Triangulation

This research study involves the usage of extensive secondary sources, such as certified publications, articles from recognized authors, white papers, annual reports of companies, directories, and major databases, to collect useful and effective information for an extensive, technical, market-oriented, and commercial study of the global market.

The process of market engineering involves the calculation of the market statistics, market size estimation, market forecast, market crackdown, and data triangulation (the methodology for such quantitative data processes is explained in further sections). The primary research study has been undertaken to gather information and validate the market numbers for segmentation types and industry trends of the key players in the market.

Key Market Players and Competition Synopsis

The global activated carbon market for water treatment is increasingly shaped by vertically integrated suppliers that combine virgin carbon production with reactivation services and mobile filtration fleets. Leading companies —including Calgon Carbon, Jacobi Carbons (Osaka Gas Chemical), Haycarb PLC, Norit, Donau Carbon, DESOTEC, and CarboTech—collectively command a substantial share of global sales, while numerous regional specialists and contract reactivators serve localized needs. Competitive advantage now hinges on pairing low-carbon feedstocks (e.g., coconut-shell or biomass-based carbon) with closed-loop reactivation and on-site service models that reduce lifecycle costs and greenhouse-gas emissions for municipal and industrial end users factors that increasingly influence procurement decisions.

Some prominent names established in this market are:

Kuraray/Calgon Carbon
Jacobi Carbons
Haycarb PLC
Norit Activated Carbon
Donau Carbon GmbH
Desotec NV
CarboTech AC GmbH
Carbon Activated Corporation
Boyce Carbon
Silcarbon Aktivkohle
Puragen Activated Carbons

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