Abstract: Volatile organic compounds (VOC) seriously affect the environment and human health. The removal of pollutants from coal-fired power plants based on ACF adsorption is a promising method. In this paper, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) was used to modify the ACF sample, and the methods of N₂ adsorption isotherm and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) were utilized to characterize the ACF samples. The adsorption tests of VOC (toluene as a typical representative) based on ACF were conducted and the effect of SO₂ and NO on the adsorption of toluene were investigated. It was found that H₂O₂ modification had no impact on the BET surface and pore volume of the ACF sample, but increased the oxygen groups on the ACF surface. The results also indicated that SO₂ or NO inhibited the adsorption of VOC on ACF, and this inhibition became strong with increasing concentration of SO₂ or NO. It is also found that the coexistence of SO₂ and NO deteriorated the adsorption VOC on ACF more seriously than the single existence of SO₂ or NO.