Adsorption is one of the most efficient inexpensive strategies for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, adsorption of VOCs by fixed beds has certain limitations, such as considerable energy consumption and high operating costs. To treat VOCs with high volume and low concentration, a pilot-scale multistage bubbling fluidized bed adsorber was developed herein and was used to conduct the adsorption experiments. Experimental investigation of ethanol adsorption on the adsorbent under static and dynamic conditions revealed that ethanol adsorption on the adsorbent followed the Langmuir adsorption model. The adsorption kinetics followed a linear driving force (LDF) model, which showed that diffusion was the rate-determining factor. Moreover, the effects of operating conditions, such as bed height, superficial gas velocity, inlet concentration, and desorption temperature, on adsorption were investigated. The results showed that adsorption efficiency in the bubbling fluidized bed varied from 85.7% to 94.5%. The findings of this study could provide the basic data for the design and development of a bubbling fluidized bed for application in the recovery of low-to-medium concentrations of industrial VOCs. (C) 2019 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.