Empirically, no it doesn't, at least not for the quantities of smoke we get in wildfire season. It's probably enough for most "abandoned industry on fire again" fires, if that's all you get?

Per the EPA:

> Upgrading to a filter rated MERV 13 or higher can be especially important during smoky periods to effectively remove fine particle pollution from smoke in the indoor air.

* https://www.epa.gov/wildfire-smoke-course/preparing-fire-sea...

The carbon is for the smell. The EPA also points to this California list, which include "mechanical" types which do not use electronic measures:

* https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/list-carb-certified-air-cleaning-devi...

The main challenge is the resistance to airflow (US: inches w.c.) that can be a problem with for HVAC equipment, which is why you want a large surface area, e.g.:

* https://electronicaircleaners.com/docs/aprilaire_2416_2216_a...

* https://www.aprilaire.com/whole-house-products/air-purifiers...