Carbon Filtration is a method of water filtering that uses activated carbon to remove contaminants and impurities, utilizing chemical absorption.

Each piece of carbon is designed to provide a large section of surface area, in order to allow contaminants the most possible exposure to the filter media. One pound (454 g) of activated carbon contains a surface area of approximately 100 acres.

This carbon is generally activated with a positive charge and is disigned to attract negatively charged water contaminants. Carbon filtering is commonly used for water purification, but is also used in many other applications.

Carbon filters are most effective at removing chlorine, sediment and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) commonly present in water supplies. Typical particle sizes that can be removed by carbon filtration range from 0.5 micrometers to 50 micrometers. The efficientcy of a carbon filter is based upon the flow rate. When the water is allowed to flow through the filter at a slower rate, the contaminants are exposed to the filter media for a longer amount of time.