Palm shell based adsorbents prepared under five different thermochemical conditions have been shown to be quite effective for removal of chromium (III and VI) from aqueous solutions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) have been used to determine information about the speciation and binding of chromium on the adsorbents under study. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies indicate that oxidation of lignin moieties takes place concurrently to Cr(VI) reduction and leads to the formation of hydroxyl and carboxyl functions. The maximum adsorption capacity for hexavalent chromium was found to be about 313 mg/g in an acidic medium using PAPSP. This is comparable to other natural substrates and ordinary adsorbents. The efficacy of the adsorbents under study to remove chromium from plating waste water has been demonstrated. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.