Radiotracer technique has been used to study the removal behavior of Ce (III) ions from aqueous solutions by synthesized and well characterized hydrous ferric oxide (HFO). Adsorptive concentration (10(-4)-10(-8) mol dm(-3)), pH (ca 4.0-10.0) and temperature (303-333 K) were examined for assessing optimal conditions for removal of these ions. The uptake of Ce (III) ions, which fitted well for Freundlich and D-R isotherms, increased with increase in the temperature and no significant desorption took place in the studied temperature range. The presence of some anions/cations affected the uptake of metal ion markedly. Irradiation of hydrous ferric oxide and tungsten oxide by using a 11.1 x 10(9) Bq (Ra-Be) neutron source having a neutron flux of 3.9 x 10(6) cm(-2) s(-1) with associated gamma-dose rate of 1.72 Gy/h did not influence the extent of adsorption of Ce (III) significantly. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.