Batch adsorption experiments were conducted for the adsorption of Cd (II) ions from aqueous solution by bamboo charcoal. The results showed that the adsorption of Cd (II) ions was very fast initially and the equilibrium time was 6 h. High pH (>= 8.0) was favorable for the adsorption and removal of Cd (II) ions. Higher initial Cd concentrations led to lower removal percentages but higher adsorption capacity. As the adsorbent dose increased, the removal of Cd increased, while the adsorption capacity decreased. Adsorption kinetics of Cd (II) ions onto bamboo charcoal could be best described by the pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption behavior of Cd (II) ions fitted Langmuir, Temkin and Freundlich isotherms well, but followed Langmuir isotherm most precisely, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 12.08 mg/g. EDS analysis confirmed that Cd (II) was adsorbed onto bamboo charcoal. This study demonstrated that bamboo charcoal could be used for the removal of Cd (II) ions in water treatment. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.