A reactive fibrous adsorbent was prepared through the grafting of a methacrylic acid monomer Onto poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers for the removal of basic dyes such as methylene blue and basic red 9 from aqueous solutions through a batch adsorption method. Effects of various parameters Such as the grafting yield, pH, treatment time, initial dye concentration, and adsorption temperature on the amount of dye adsorbed onto reactive fibers were investigated. The adsorption amounts of basic dyes increased with increases in the grafting yield, pH, treatment time, initial dye concentration, and adsorption temperature. The rates of adsorption conformed to pseudo-second-order kinetics with a good correlation. The equilibrium data for methylene blue and basic red 9 adsorption fit the Langmuir equation, with maximum adsorption capacities of 200 and 250 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption rates of two basic dyes were much higher on the grafted poly(ethylene terephthalate) fiber than On the ungrafted poly(ethylene terephthalate) fiber. Within 45 min, about 99%, of the cationic dyes was removed from the solutions (400 mg/L) by methacrylic acid-graft-poly (ethylene terephthalate) fibers. The highest desorption amounts for methylene blue and basic red 9 were 62 and 84%, respectively. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.