The role of pore size distribution in the adsorption of phenol in aqueous solutions on polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-based activated carbons (ACs) has been analyzed. The ACs were prepared from PET and mixtures of PET with coal-tar pitch (CTP) by means of carbonization and subsequent steam and carbon dioxide activation at 850 and 950 degrees C, respectively. The resultant ACs were characterized on the basis of similarities in their surface chemical features and differences in their micropore size distributions. The adsorption of phenol was carried out in static conditions at ambient temperature. The pseudo-second order kinetic model and Langmuir model were found to fit the experimental data very well. The different adsorption capacities of the ACs towards phenol were attributed to differences in their micropore size distributions. Adsorption capacity was favoured by the volume of pores with a size smaller than 1.4 nm; but restricted by pores smaller than 0.8 nm. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.