Abstract: Series of adsorption equilibrium capacity and breakthrough experiments were conducted to study the adsorption of gasoline constituents MTBE and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) from single and mixed solute solutions on activated carbons. The adsorptive capacity of granular activated carbon (GAC) in declining order was ethylbenzene >oxylene >toluene >benzene>MTBE, consistent with the prediction based on their relative water solubility. The coconut carbon was most effective for removing MTBE and BTEX; the phenol number was a good indicator for the carbons′ adsorptive capacities for BTEX and MTBE at low equilibrium concentrations. When BTEX and MTBE were both present, the carbon′s capacity for MTBE was reduced while its capacity for BTEX remained nearly the same as that measured in the single solute solution. A higher concentration of coexisting toluene resulted in a greater reduction in carbon′s capacity for MTBE. The mixture of BTEX resulted in greater reduction of the capacity for MTBE than the sum of individual effects. When BTEX and MTBE were both present in the feed to a small absorber, the well adsorbed BTEX displaced some of the adsorbed MTBE resulting in a short period of higher than expected effluent MTBE concentration.