Liquid-phase adsorption equilibria of eight phenolic compounds onto activated carbon fibers were measured in the concentration range 40-500 g . m(-3) at 303 K. High adsorption capacities were observed for the chlorinated phenols compared to the methyl-substituted phenols. Several two- and three-parameter isotherm equations were tested. Among the equations tried, the three-parameter equation of Jossens et al. based on a heterogeneous surface adsorption theory was found to be the most satisfactory over the entire range of concentration. The widely used two-parameter equations of Langmuir and Freundlich were not applicable to the present adsorption systems.