Process of purifying exhaust air laden with organic pollutants

A process for purifying exhaust air from organic pollutants which exhaust air is obtained in an automobile manufacturing plant from a paint drying and underbody coating operation and baking of the coats thus formed which comprises indirectly cooling said exhaust air to a temperature between 20.degree. and 80.degree. C. and removing condensate, feeding the resultant cooled exhaust air to a fixed bed of activated carbon having a particle size in the range of about 2 to 6 mm, a bulk density of 300 to 350 g/l and a BET surface area of 800 to 1800 square meters per gram, removing at least a part of the adsorbate by subjecting the activated carbon laden with organic pollutants to a desorbing treatment by contacting said bed of activated carbon with steam and maintaining said bed at a temperature of 100.degree. to 150.degree. C. during said treatment, the pollutants desorbed from said activated carbon having a modal boiling point of 160.degree. to 200.degree. C., at least 60% of the desorbed pollutants having a boiling point of at least 170.degree. C.