It is a non-metal, and is a great conductor of electricity. Carbon will not dissolve in any common solvent. It is the second most abundant element in the human body. It is a mixture of carbon and oxygen. Some types of carbon are coconut shell activated, coal base granular activated, coal base pelletized activated, acid washed activated, wood base activated, and powdered activated.
All carbon has many millions of microscopic pores.
The contaminated water will flow into the pores, and the contaminant will stick to the sides of the pore, provided that the molecule is big enough to fit inside it. The contaminants are either chemically or physically attracted to the carbon. The pores are larger on the outside than they are on the inside, sort of like a funnel. One teaspoon of carbon has the same surface are as a football field, and one cup of it has the same surface area as 130 acres. For a waste stream to be cleaned, it must have a correct contact time.