The adsorption of anionic surfactants with different hydrophobic chain lengths onto cellulose fibers pretreated with a cationic polyelectrolyte has been investigated. Five steps are involved ill the adsorption process, which wits ascribed to the formation of monolayer and bilayer surfactant aggregates. Electrostatic interaction between the residual surface charges followed by hydrophobic interaction among the alkyl chains are considered the main factors in the adsorption process. The adsorption of the anionic surfactant was found to greatly enhance the retention of organic compounds onto the polyclectrolyte-treated Cellulose. The coadsorption phenomenon, which was dependent on the saturation level of the adsorbed surfactant, has been explained in terms of the accumulation of the organic solute on the hydrophobic core generated by the adsorbed layer. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.