The adsorption of Cr(VI) (0.500 mg/L) onto food-grade tannic-acid immobilised powdered activated carbon (TA-PAC) in the presence of dissolved humic acid (DHA) was investigated at 2801< as a function of pH, along with the adsorption capacities and the adsorption isotherms for chromium ions. The results showed that the presence of DHA improved the adsorption capacities of Cr(VI) and its reduction product (Cr(III)) over a wide pH range (4.0-8.0). The main mechanism for metal-DHA complexation in the Cr(VI) system was the reduction of Cr(VI) followed by complexation between Cr(III) and DHA. The Freundlich isotherms yielded the best fits to all data (R-2 = 0.9951, q(m) = 5.639 mg/g) in the presence of DHA. The adsorption mechanisms of Cr(VI) onto TA-PAC in the presence of DHA were summarized into three categories: (i) binding by anion adsorption, (ii) Cr(VI) reduction followed by Cr(III) adsorption, and (iii) adsorption of Cr(III)-DHA complexes. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.