In this work we report that highly dealuminated zeolite Y is a hydrophobic material that is able to remove selectively fatty acids and hydrocarbon compounds from the effluent of an urban wastewater treatment plant (UWTP). This adsorbent capability of zeolite Y could lead to an improved quality of UWTP effluents. Typical domestic wastewaters contain detergents, soaps and surfactants that are only partially removed in conventional UWTP. In the present work using an effluent from a UWTP located at Ribarroja del Turia (Valencia, Spain) containing 10 ppm of total organic carbon, we have been able to retain by adsorption on the dealuminated Y zeolite up to 16 and 60% of the organic matter of the effluent at pH values 7.2 and 4, respectively. Characterization of the adsorbed organic matter by Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR), H-1 NMR and GC-MS after derivatization has shown that the zeolite adsorbs selectively the hydrophobic compounds of the effluent. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.