Cationized lignocellulosic materials (cotton fibers, wood sawdust, and maize-cob flour) are prepared by grafting quaternary ammonium groups for use as scavengers for anionic surfactants. Generally, rapid adsorption occurs and at saturation leads to a stoichiometric ratio of cationic sites and anionic surfactants such as sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, and sodium oleate. Modeling of these adsorptions is tested using Langmuir, Freundlich, or Jossens equations, the latter giving the best fit with experimental data. The results are compared with the adsorption of chromate and dichromate anions on the same sorbents. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.