Abstract: The use of carbonaceous adsorbent-packed columns has been tested to remove a number of phenols (methylated and halogenated) and dyes (cationic and anionic) from aqueous solutions. The breakthrough capacity, exhaustion capacity and degree of column utilization have been evaluated from breakthrough curves. The results obtained indicated that breakthrough capacity is about 7-30% less than the batch capacity (results from previous studies). Further, degree of column utilization was found to lie in the range 63-70%. The results of present investigations indicate that carbonaceous adsorbent-packed columns can be fruitfully used to remove pollutants from industrial effluent and is a suitable alternative of standard activated charcoal in view of its cheaper cost.