The process of adsorption of selected benzene derivatives from aqueous solution is investigated on two carbonaceous materials of differentiated surface properties - quantity of oxygen functional groups. Carbon samples were prepared by removal of external layers from granules of unmodified and oxidized active carbon. The surface and structure characteristics of carbon samples were estimated by various methods. The experimental isotherms of organics adsorption from liquid phase were measured and interpreted in terms of the theory of adsorption on heterogeneous solid surfaces. The influence of differences in adsorbate and adsorbent properties on adsorption uptake was analyzed. The adsorption effectiveness was regarded as a result of the differences in adsorbate hydrophobicities and the effect of specific interactions of its functional groups with active sites on carbon surface. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.