Two series of crosslinked starch polymers were tested for their ability to adsorb organic pollutants in aqueous solutions. The polymers were prepared by a crosslinking reaction of starch-enriched flour using epichlorohydrin as the crosslinking agent, without and in the presence of NH4OH. These polymers were used as sorbent materials for the removal of phenolic derivatives from wastewater. The influence of several parameters (kinetics, pH and polymer structure) on the sorption capacity was evaluated using the batch and the open column methods. Results of adsorption experiments showed that the starch-based materials exhibited high sorption capacities toward phenolic derivatives. The study of the kinetics of pollutant uptake revealed that the adsorbents presented a relatively fast rate of adsorption. The experimental data were examined using the Langmuir and Freundlich models and it was found that the Freundlich model appeared to fit the isotherm data better than the Langmuir model. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.