Activated Carbon Filters are perfect for capturing carcinogens before they can enter your lungs, making them a great option for whatever you may be rolling. Activated Carbon has many uses, but what science lies behind their effectiveness, and how do they work? Let’s explore exactly what are Activated Carbon Filters.
What Are Activated Carbon Filters?
Activated Carbon Filters are not only found in the world of rolling joints and blunts. They can be found in water filters, air purifiers, and vacuum cleaners – but what exactly does charcoal have to do with these filters?
Charcoal possesses a vast amount of carbon. When charcoal is introduced to heat, it develops lots of small internal pores that cause carbon molecules to expand, giving it a larger surface area and allowing it to trap any other molecules that would normally pass through in a gaseous or liquid form. In the context of smoking with Activated Charcoal Filters, they manage to trap most of the carcinogens produced by smoking and prevent them from entering the lungs.
How Are Activated Carbon Fibres Produced?
The process of producing Activated Carbon Filters requires a suitable carbon source and heat. Carbon-rich sources include coal, wood, and coconut shells.
In order to activate the carbon, the carbon-rich sources are placed in tanks that do not contain any oxygen. They are then exposed to extremely high temperatures between 600 °C and 900 °C. Once the first heating process is completed, additional elements like nitrogen are added to the carbon-rich sources and reheated to a temperature close to 1200 °C. This process alters the structure of carbon to create a multitude of pores for a much larger surface area.
How Do Activated Carbon Filters Work?
Activated Carbon Filters utilise the process of adsorption. Whereas most filters work through absorption (soaking up molecules into their substrate), Activated Carbon Filters make molecules stick to their surface. As the molecules present in smoke pass through the filter, they become trapped within the tiny pores and cling to the surface of the carbon.
Using Activated Carbon Filters
Once you have bought your Activated Carbon Filters, you do not have to do anything other than placing it in your joint. You can use it just as you would use a standard filter or tip – place them at the end of your rolling paper, pack it with the herbs of your choice, roll it up, and puff away. You can also get Activated Charcoal Bong Adapters to filter the smoke produced by your water pipes.
Benefits Of Activated Carbon Filters
Black Leaf’s Activated Carbon Filters are available at Vaperite. These are a great option since they:
- Are completely eco-friendly and made from coconut
- No added harmful chemicals
- Are highly adsorbent for organic chemicals
- Improve the flavour of your smoke
- Reduce the amount of tar and other carcinogens that can reach your lungs
- Keep your water pipes cleaner for a longer period
- Make harsher blends taste smoother
- Make it easier to smoke pure blends
Activated Carbon Filters Vs. Regular Cardboard Filters
In reality, cardboard filters or tips do not even act as filters. They simply serve as a handpiece for a joint or blunt. This means that cardboard tips allow large quantities of harmful carcinogens to reach the lungs. Some people prefer cardboard tips as they allow cannabinoids and terpenes to pass through without any struggle, but the risk of all these carcinogens reaching the lungs outweighs the benefits of having a slightly higher concentration of cannabinoids pass through.
Activated Carbon Filters Vs. Regular Tobacco Filters
Standard tobacco filters do a better job than cardboard tips, but they still allow a large amount of carcinogens to pass through to the lungs. This is because standard tobacco filters absorb the molecules that pass through them, which means that you will keep inhaling the chemicals that stick to them.
Using Activated Carbon Filters In Bongs
If you are looking to filter the smoke produced by your bong/water pipe, you can get a bong adapter that contains Activated Carbon. These are placed between your herb bowl and bong/water pipe, removing impurities and improving the quality of your experience, just as Activated Carbon Filters would do in a joint/blunt.
Do Activated Carbon Filters Absorb Cannabinoids?
Activated Carbon Filters are extremely effective at filtering out any organic non-polar molecules. Most of the carcinogens that are present in smoke are non-polar, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
However, cannabinoids are terpeno-phenolic compounds that are also non-polar. The large molecular weight of THC means that they are more likely to get caught within the pores of Activated Carbon Filters. Some carcinogenic compounds that have a smaller molecular weight are polar and can still make it through the filter, but this is once again a much smaller health risk than any other filters can provide.
You will still get high when smoking a joint or blunt that has been rolled with an Activated Carbon Filter. The minute amount of THC that is lost will have little to no impact on your high. The decreased amount of inhaled non-polar carcinogens will greatly reduce the health risks associated with smoking a joint that is rolled with standard filters or tips.
Using Activated Carbon Filters As The Healthier Alternative
Researchers have made an effort in determining how effective Activated Carbon Filters are. In 2018, a study was published in the Chemical Research in Toxicology journal that assessed the effect that Activated Charcoal Filters have on free radical contents found in cigarette smoke.
The research concluded that these filters let at least 40% fewer of the unstable molecules in cigarette smoke through to the user than any other filters. It was also found that Activated Charcoal Filters reduce exposure to p-benzosemiquinone, an irritant present in cigarette smoke that is associated with emphysema.
Activated Carbon Filters are a safe and effective alternative to standard filters and tips. Not only do they remove a vast amount of harmful chemicals found in smoke, they also allow users to enjoy a smooth and pleasant smoking experience. If you enjoy the old-school method of consuming herbs via a joint, blunt, or bong, Activated Carbon Filters are the best option to reduce the adverse effects of smoke. Make your experience safer and stay eco-friendly by using Activated Carbon Filters for your rolling practices.
