Abstract: According to coal-based activated carbon widely used in three fields of water treatment, flue gas cleaning, and volatile organic compounds ( VOCs) purifi cation in domestic, the paper summarized application status of coal-based activated carbon combining with adsorption/reaction device and regeneration process and eq uipment. In addition, the development trend of activated carbon for these applications fields is also prospected. The industrial scales of regeneration for water treatment activated carbon will enlarge; cleaning technologies of activated carbon treating flue gas from coke oven and coal-fired boiler needs urgently develop; the special activa ted carbon should be researched according typical pollution of various VOCs and design matching device.