Wine processing waste sludge has been shown to be an effective adsorbent for the adsorption of Cr(III) from aqueous solution. The sludge has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-rays (EDX). The effect of pH, initial concentration of Cr(III), sludge particle size, and temperature on the adsorption studied. The equilibrium data could be described well by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations. A separation factor was used to judge the favorable adsorption. The calculated thermodynamic parameters, DeltaH(0) and DeltaS(0), are 1.95 kJ/mol and 27.16 J/mol K, respectively. The DeltaG(0) values range from -5.98 to -6.79 J/mol, which shows the physical adsorption properties of the sludge. Adsorption dynamics had been successfully studied by the Lagergren model and an intraparticle diffusion model. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.