Deoiled mustard obtained from local oil mills has been used as an inexpensive and effective adsorbent for the removal of indigocarmine dye from industrial effluents. The influence of various factors on the adsorption capacity has been studied by batch experiments. The adsorption studies validate both Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. Thermodynamic parameters such as Delta G degrees, Delta H degrees, and Delta S degrees for the adsorption process were calculated, which indicated the feasibility of the adsorption process. Desorption profiles revealed that a significant portion (85%) could be desorbed from deoiled mustard by using 30% glycerol as eluting agent. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.