In this work, photodegradation of chloroform in water suspensions of montmorillonite KSF (KSF) under a black light lamp (lambda = 365 nm) was investigated. The results showed that KSF induced the photodegradation of chloroform by producing hydroxyl radical ((OH)-O-center dot) that oxidized chloroform in the heterogeneous clay-water systems. The photodegradation of chloroform in KSF suspensions was greatly influenced by the concentration of KSF and the pH of KSF suspensions. The photodegradation of chloroform by KSF followed the Langmuir-Hinshelwood Model. Furthermore, the removal efficiency of chloroform can be enhanced by the presence of carboxylates (oxalate and citrate) and humic acid (HA). This work demonstrates that KSF can be used as a new and efficient photocatalyst in oxidation and removal of organic compounds. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.