The removal of 3-chlorophenol (CP) from water by carbon derived from burning of rice straw was evaluated in this study. Rice straw was burned at 300 degrees C in the air to obtain rice carbon (RC). Scanning electron micrographs showed a highly porous structure of RC. NMR and FTIR spectroscopy suggested an enhanced aromaticity of RC and the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups. Adsorption of CP by RC was characterized by L-shaped nonlinear isotherms, suggesting surface adsorption rather than partitioning. The adsorption occurred most strongly when CP existed as a neutral species. The adsorption decreased with increasing pH due to increased deprotonation of surface functional groups of RC and dissociation of CP. The adsorption capacity determined by data-fitting to the Langmuir model was 14.2, 12.9, 11.4 and 4.9 mg g(-1) at pH 4, 6, 8 and 10, respectively. These results suggest that rice-straw-based carbon may be effectively used as a low-cost substitute for activated carbon for removal of chlorophenols from water. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.