What is the main purpose of a carbon tank in a water treatment system?

The primary function of a carbon tank in a water treatment system is to remove chlorine and chloramine from the water. Chlorine and chloramine are commonly used disinfectants in municipal water supplies, but they can be harmful to patients undergoing hemodialysis. Hemodialysis equipment is very sensitive to these chemicals, which can lead to adverse reactions in patients if present in the water used for dialysis.

Activated carbon in the carbon tank acts through a process called adsorption, where contaminants adhere to the surface of the carbon particles. This effectively reduces the levels of chlorine and chloramine to safe levels, ensuring that the water is suitable for dialysis treatment. Therefore, the main purpose of the carbon tank is crucial in protecting patient safety by ensuring the quality of the water.

Options that suggest adding minerals, filtering out large particles, or regulating temperature do not accurately reflect the role of a carbon tank, which is specifically designed to address the removal of these harmful substances from the water used in kidney treatments.