A method for the simultaneous determination of 12 metal elements (Pb, Cr, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Ni, Mn, Ti, Al, Na, K) in activated carbon using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was established. An efficient solution for quality control of activated carbon used in vitamin C production was provided. The multi-element synchronous detection significantly improves efficiency, overcoming the limitations of traditional EDTA titration methods that only measure calcium and magnesium. The sample pretreatment involved digestion with hydrochloric acid，ensuring complete release of metal ions. By optimizing the analytical spectral lines and medium conditions, the matrix effect was effectively reduced, achieving low detection limits and high sensitivity. Method validation demonstrated spike recovery rates of 92.9%~102.3% with RSD ≤1.45%, confirming the high precision and good reproducibility of the method.