Most inline filters will be able to remove pollutants commonly found in drinking water. Some of the more up market filters can also remove larger sediments.
To class something as a sediment it needs to be over 0.5 microns (this is the smallest type of sediment particle).
There are two types of compounds commonly found in drinking water, this can vary depending on where you live, these are: Organic compounds and Inorganic compounds.
Organic compounds tend to be things like soil and waste products, whereas inorganic compounds are things like lead or mercury elements.