A novel adsorbent, Zr(IV)-immobilized resin, was prepared by surface template polymerization. This adsorbent, prepared by adding polystyrene (PS) to resin, has a high adsorption capacity for the removal of fluoride ion from aqueous solutions. The adsorption capacity increased with rising PS concentration, since the specific surface area can be effectively increased by adding polystyrene as a porogen. The adsorption isotherm has been modeled by the Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The adsorption isotherms were well described by the Langmuir equation. The removal of fluoride was also carried out using a column method. The presence of PS in the resin exerted a remarkable influence on the uptake of fluoride ion. The fluoride adsorbed on the resin was quantitatively eluted with 0.1 M NaOH. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.