A data storage system includes a housing, one or more data storage media disposed within the housing, and an filter comprising activated carbon fibers disposed within the housing. The activated carbon fiber filter includes activated carbon fibers configured to adsorb both chemical contaminants and particulate contaminants within the housing. The activated carbon fiber filter may include a wide variety of active molecular functional groups, pores with sizes from macroscopic to nanoscopic scales, and a very high surface area per unit mass, in various embodiments. The activated carbon fiber filter may be mounted in a region of the data storage system having enhanced fluid pressure when the data storage system is in normal operation.