This paper evaluates the treatment of textile wastewater using new composites as adsorbents and/or heterogeneous catalysts for Fenton oxidation. The efficiency of the process was explored as a function of the experimental parameters: pH. hydrogen peroxide concentration and iron oxides content. The composites with high iron oxides content were effective to adsorb contaminants in textile wastewater. and the adsorptive capacity increased with the superficial iron concentration. These solids were also used as heterogeneous Fenton catalysts and had the advantage of being effective at pH 3.0 with a consumption of hydrogen peroxide lower than required by the homogeneous Fenton process. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.