Removal of 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB), a common musty odor compound, by a novel ceramic adsorbent (CA), developed with a mixture of akadama mud, wheat starch, and Fe(2)O(3) is presented. The physicochemical characteristics of the CA are examined with scanning electron microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) and gas adsorption porosimetry analyses. The effects of initial 2-MIB concentration, contact time and initial solution pH are investigated. It is observed that the adsorption of 2-MIB by CA occurs by a pseudo-first-order mechanism. CA exhibits high removal efficiency for 2-MIB in both high (600 ng/L) and low (200 ng/L) initial 2-MIB concentrations at room temperature (25 degrees C) and can adapt to a wide range of pH (2-12) for 2-MIB adsorption. Over 80% of 2-MIB is removed by the CA within 600 min at an initial concentration of 200 ng/L with 20 g/L of CA dose. High regeneration performance shows that CA has great potential for reuse. These results suggest that the developed CA could be a promising material for effective and rapid removal of musty odor compounds in drinking water. Data on the adsorption kinetics and mechanism of adsorption are also presented. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.