The sorption behavior of 2,4-dichlorophenol on marine sediments treated by different methods was investigated systematically. The sorption of 2,4-dichlorophenol on marine sediments was completed mainly via ion exchange and surface polar sorption. Both the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms were fit for describing its sorption behavior. The sorption behavior of 2,4-dichlorophenol was affected by various factors including aqueous salinity and temperature. The sorption amount of 2,4-dichlorophenol on marine sediments increased with increasing ion strength, but decreased with increasing temperature. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.