The biosorption of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) from aqueous solution on non-living mycelial pellets of Phanerochaete chrysosporium was studied with respect to pH, initial concentration of 2,4-DCP, temperature and pellet size. The fungal biomass exhibited the highest sorption capacity of 4.09 mg/g at an initial pH of 5.0, initial 2,4-DCP concentration of 50.48 mg/l, 25 degrees C and a pellet size of 1.0-1.5 mm in the investigated pH 2.0-11.0, initial concentrations of 5-50 mg/l, temperature 25-50 degrees C, and pellet size of 1.0-2.5 mm. The Freundlich model exhibited a slightly better fit to the biosorption data of 2,4-DCP than the Langmuir model. The biosorption of 2,4-DCP to biomass followed pseudo second-order adsorption kinetics. The second-order kinetic constants decreased with increasing temperature, and the apparent activation energy of biosorption was estimated to be -16.95 KJ/mol. The thermodynamic analysis indicates that the biosorption process was exothermic and that the adsorption of 2,4-DCP on P chrysosporium might be physical in nature. Both intraparticle diffusion and kinetic resistances might affect the adsorption rate and that their relative effects varied with operation temperature in the biosorption of 2,4-DCP by mycelial pellets. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.