CMK-8, a mesoporous carbon material, was activated using different methods for the adsorption of low-concentration airborne formaldehyde. KOH and ammonia treatments were used to activate CMK-8. A CMK-8 sample was treated with KOH first followed by an ammonia-treatment at 700 degrees C to determine the effect of a combination of the two treatment methods. The adsorbents prepared were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption-desorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The KOH treatment increased the concentration of oxygen functional groups, whereas the ammonia-treatment generated a significant amount of nitrogen functional groups. The formaldehyde adsorption efficiency was highest when both KOH- and ammonia-treatments were applied to CMK-8. The ammonia-treated CMK-8 exhibited higher formaldehyde adsorption ability than the KOH-treated one, whereas non-activated CMK-8 showed the lowest formaldehyde adsorption efficiency. The number of nitrogen functional groups and the specific surface area appeared to significantly affect the formaldehyde adsorption capability of the adsorbents, whereas oxygen functional groups played a less important role.