Activated carbon is a very mature technology that is designed to help remove taste and odor from water through adsorption of the compounds that cause problems.
There are a variety of different types of carbon that are used industry-wide. They include wood, lignite, coal, and coconut as the most common sources for activated carbon.
Activated carbon operates through adsorption. Adsorption is a surface phenomenon and is therefore directly related to the surface area of the media. In the case of activated carbon, the surface area is related to the pore structure of the raw materials. The cost of the media is also related to the raw materials, so there are other factors that must be taken into consideration besides the total surface area