Thermal and hydrothermal biochars were characterized, and adsorption of bisphenol A (BPA), 17 alpha-ethinyl estradiol (EE2) and phenanthrene (Phen) was determined to investigate the sorption characteristic difference between the two types of biochars. Thermal biochars were composed mostly of aromatic moieties, with low H/C and O/C ratios as compared to hydrothermal ones having diverse functional groups. Single-point organic carbon-normalized distribution coefficients (logK(OC)) of EE2 and BPA of hydrothermal biochars were higher than thermal biochars, while Phen logK(OC) values were comparable among them. Xray diffraction and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance results suggested that hydrothermal biochars consisted of more amorphous aliphatic-C, possibly being responsible for their high sorption capacity of Phen. This study demonstrated that hydrothermal biochars could adsorb a wider spectrum of both polar and nonpolar organic contaminants than thermally produced biochars, suggesting that hydrothermal biochar derived from poultry and animal waste is a potential sorbent for agricultural and environmental applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.