The adsorption of gold complexes onto the activated carbon is the basis of modern techniques for gold recovery. The next step is the recovery of adsorbed gold from activated carbon with an efficient eluant. The objective of this study was to investigate an improved process for recovering gold from activated carbon. The process involves contact of gold laden activated carbon with a strong base at ambient temperatures followed by elution with an aqueous solution containing an organic solvent. Results showed that aqueous solutions of organic solvents, preferably aqueous solution of acetone or acetonitrile could be effectively used in the recovery of gold from loaded activated carbon which compared favorably with Zadra and AARL methods. (C) 2007 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.