2-Mercaptothiazoline (2-MT) is widely used as an organic corrosive as well as a diffusion inhibitor due to its high ability to form metal-chelate Schiff base complexes. This study investigated the elimination of 2-MT from aqueous systems with adsorption process to reach the goal of sustainable use of water resources. The Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherms were adopted to examine the adsorption behavior of two types of 2-MT (i.e., 2-MT molecule and 2-MT complex) on activated carbon (AC) Chemviron Filtrasorb 400 (F 400) in three different solutions. The results of adsorption isotherm data showed that the adsorption ability of 2-MT molecule is much higher than that of 2-MT complex, whose ability may be reduced due to the electrostatic repulsion. The good applicability of Langmuir adsorption isotherm to experimental data indicated that the adsorption of 2-MT complexes on F 400 might be limited to a monolayer. Higher ionic strength and lower pH value of the solutions promoted the uptake of 2-MT onto F 400 from the solutions. In addition, not only 2-MT molecule and complex but also Cu(II) can be adsorbed on the surface of F 400, which was demonstrated by energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX). Effects of the two major interactions, chemical and physical interactions, on the adsorption of 2-MT on F 400 were compared as well in this study. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.