The adsorption of procaine on eight activated carbon surfaces from simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) was evaluated using a rotating bottle method and isoperibol calorimetry. The adsorption data were fit using the modified Langmuir-like equation to calculate the non-specific and specific adsorption capacities. The surface atomic compositions were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A linear relationship was found between the relative non-specific adsorption capacity and the unoxidized hydrocarbon content of the activated carbon surfaces, which indicated that the non-specific adsorption site for procaine is the bare carbon surface. The apparent area occupied per procaine molecule, calculated from the specific capacity, was linearly correlated to the sum of the relative percentages of the C-O and O-C=O functional states on the surfaces. This suggested that the primary adsorption sites for procaine on the activated carbon surfaces were the oxygen-containing functional states of C-O and O-C=O, where procaine was adsorbed via hydrogen bonding. The differential heats of displacement for procaine on the four activated carbon surfaces are approximately equal to each other, which indicated that the interactions between procaine and the functional states on all surfaces are energetically equivalent. Published by Elsevier Inc.