The removal characteristics of cadmium (Cd(II)) and nickel (Ni(II)) ions from aqueous solution by exhausted olive cake ash (EOCA) were investigated under various conditions of contact time, pH, initial metal concentration and temperature. Batch kinetic studies showed that an equilibrium time of 2 h was required for the adsorption of Ni(II) and Cd(II) onto EOCA. Equilibrium adsorption is affected by the initial pH (pH(0)) of the solution. The pH(0) 6.0 is found to be the optimum for the individual removal of Cd(II) and Ni(II) ions by EOCA. The adsorption test of applying EOCA into synthetic wastewater revealed that the adsorption data of this material for nickel and cadmium ions were better fitted to the Langmuir isotherm since the correlation coefficients for the Langmuir isotherm were higher than that for the Freundlich isotherm. The estimated maximum capacities of nickel and cadmium ions adsorbed by EOCA were 8.38 and 7.32 mg g(-1), respectively. The thermodynamic parameters for the adsorption process data were evaluated using Langmuir isotherm. The free energy change (Delta G degrees) and the enthalpy change (Delta H degrees) showed that the process was feasible and endothermic respectively. As the exhausted olive cake is discarded as waste from olive processing, the adsorbent derived from this material is expected to be an economical product for metal ion remediation from water and wastewater. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.