BACKGROUND: This research focuses on understanding the biosorption process and developing a cost-effective technology for the treatment of water contaminated with phenolic compounds (phenol, 2-chlorophenol and 4-chlorophenol), which are discharged into the aquatic environment from a variety of sources and are highly toxic. In order to remove phenolic compounds from water, a new biobased sorbent is developed, blending chitosan with abrus precatorius, both naturally occurring biopolymers. The resulting chitosan-abrus precatorius blended beads (CS/Ab) were characterized by Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques under batch equilibrium and column flow experimental conditions. The binding capacity of the biosorbent was investigated as a function of initial pH, contact time, initial concentration of adsorbate and dosage of adsorbent. RESULTS: The percentage removal of phenol, 2-CP and 4-CP increased with increasing adsorbent dose, while the adsorption capacity at equilibrium, q(e) (mg g(-1)) (amount of phenol, 2-CP and 4-CP loaded per unit weight of adsorbent) decreased. The equilibrium time was found to be 240 min for full equilibration of all adsorbates. Adsorption kinetic and isotherm studies showed that the pseudo-first-order model and the Langmuir isotherm were the best choices to describe the adsorption behaviors. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of phenol, 2-CP and 4-CP on to the (CS/Ab) beads was found to be 156 mg g(-1), 204 mg g(-1) and 278 mg g(-1), respectively. CONCLUSION: The experimental results suggested that (CS/Ab) blended beads are effective in the removal of phenolic compounds from aqueous medium. (C) 2009 Society of Chemical Industry