The adsorption of methylene blue and crystal violet on pumice powder samples of varying compositions was investigated using a batch adsorption technique. The effects of various experimental parameters, such as adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, and contact time, were also investigated. The extent of dye removal increased with decreased initial concentration of the dye and also increased with increased contact time and amount of adsorbent used. Adsorption data were modeled using the Freundlich adsorption isotherm. The adsorption kinetic of methylene blue and crystal violet could be described by the pseudo-second-order reaction model. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.