TiO2-coated granular activated carbon was employed for the removal of toxic microcystin-LR from water. High surface area of the activated carbon provided sites for the adsorption of microcystin-LR, and the adsorbed microcystin-LR migrated continuously onto the surface of TiO2 particles which located mainly at the exterior surface in the vicinity of the entrances of the macropores of the activated carbon. The migrated microcystin-LR was finally degraded into nontoxic products and CO2 very quickly. These combined roles of the activated carbon and TiO2 showed a synergistic effect on the efficient degradation of toxic microcystin-LR. A continuous flow fluidized bed reactor with the TiO2-coated activated carbon could successfully be employed for the efficient photocatalytic of microcystin-LR. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.