This study discussed the adsorption kinetics of As(V) onto nanosized iron oxide-coated perlite. The effects of pH, initial concentration of As(V) and common anions on the adsorption efficiency were also investigated. It was observed that a 100% As(V) adsorption was achieved at pH value 01 4-8 from the initial concentration containing 1.0 mg-As(V) L-1 and the adsorption percentage depended on the initial concentration; the phosphate and silicate ions would not interfere with the adsorption efficiency. Furthermore, nanosized iron oxide-coated perlite (IOCP) has been shown to be an effective adsorbent for the removal of arsenate from water. The adsorption kinetics were studied using pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order models, and the experimental data fitted well with the pseudo-second-order model. Moreover, it suggests that the Langmuir isotherm is more adequate than the Freundlich isotherm in simulating the adsorption isotherm of As(V). The adsorption rate constant is 44.84 L mg(-1) and the maximum adsorption capacity is 0.39 mg g(-1). These findings indicate that the adsorption property of IOCP gives the compound a great potential for applications in environmental remediation. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.