In this study, the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution by peat was analyzed. The peat was collected from a peatland at Arroio do Silva Beach, in Santa Catarina state, in the south of Brazil. Adsorption was conducted using varied initial concentrations of the MB solutions and three different temperatures (35, 45 and 60 degrees C). An adsorption time of around 4.5 h was sufficient to reach the equilibrium for all temperatures, in the concentration range studied. Percentage removal was greater for diluted solutions, but the absolute amount of MB adsorbed by the peat at equilibrium increased with an increase of the initial concentration, corroborating the efficacy of the material as an adsorbent. Temperature influenced slightly the reaction, which was endothermic. Results indicated a multi-layered process and the data were analyzed considering pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion approaches. The latter two mechanisms seem to be significant in the rate-controlling step. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.