Diuron is an herbicide widely used in agriculture as a soil sterilant to control a large variety of weeds. This compound is considered moderately toxic and dangerous to the environment. This study examined the formation of an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) based on tetrahydrofuran (THF) and polyols (glycerol, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol and maltitol) in order to promote a simple recovery method that is low cost since diuron can be found in the uptake of water for human consumption. The binodal curves were determined at 25 degrees C and atmospheric pressure. The ability of the polyols to promote the formation of ATPS with THF preferably occurred in the growing direction of hydroxyl groups, glycerol (3-OH) to maltitol (9-OH). To explore the differences induced by the presence of the distinct polyols, the partition behavior of diuron was monitored by determining of the partition coefficient (K-DIU) and recovery in the top phase (R-T). In all systems, THF was in the top phase and the polyols in the bottom phase. Preferably, diuron was best partitioned to the top phase (K-DIU approximate to 20 and R-T approximate to 93) due the effect salting-out caused by maltitol on the diuron molecules. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.