The production of activated carbons in powder and monolith forms, by physical activation with CO2, with specific surface areas between 804 and 1469 m(2) g(-1), porous volume between 0.33 and 0.59 cm(3) g(-1), with basic nature (PZC similar to 9.6-10.6) was achieved in our lab, from medium density fibreboard (MDF) and particleboard (PB), engineered wood composites wastes. These highly porous adsorbents were applied in kinetic and equilibrium adsorption studies, in batch and dynamic modes, in powder and monolith forms, of specific adsorptives, considered pollutants, namely phenol (P), p-nitrophenol (PNP) and neutral red (NR). In batch the maximum adsorbed amount was 267, 162 and 92 mg g(-1), for PNP, P and NR, respectively. The application of different kinetic models (pseudo first order, pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion model) leads to a better knowledge of the adsorption mechanisms of those adsorptives. The results obtained in the kinetic and equilibrium tests show that the combination of the structural features and the surface chemistry nature of the adsorbents, with the adsorptives properties, establish the kinetic performance, the type and amount adsorbed for each system. This work confirms the potential of these types of wastes in the production of activated carbons and its application in adsorption from liquid phase. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.