Waste material, hen feather, a biosorbent, was successfully utilized in removing a water-soluble hazardous triphenylmethane dye, Brilliant Blue FCF from wastewater. The paper incorporates effect of pH, temperature, amount of adsorbent, contact time, concentration of adsorbate, etc. The adsorption data validates Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms and on the basis of these isotherms thermodynamic parameters like Gibb's free energy, change in enthalpy and entropy were calculated. Kinetics of the ongoing adsorption was also monitored and specific rate constants for the involved process were calculated at different temperatures. Kinetic measurements suggest a first order adsorption kinetics and adsorption was found to be applicable via film diffusion process in the entire concentration range. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.