Activated C, corm ion exchange resin and shredded rice husks (grain size <= 150 pm) were used as sorbents (2 g to 200 mL of CoSO4.7H(2)O soln. with concns. 10-10 000 mg/L). The contact time of each sorbent with adsorbate soln. was 60 min. Concns. of Co2+ ions in adsorbate soln. were detd. using visible and near-ultraviolet light spectroscopy. The sorption was described by the Langmuir model. The tested materials were effective sorbents only in dild. solns., and a sorption capacity depended on the pH of the solns. In addn., the surface morphol. of the sorbents was examd. by scanning electron microscopy.