The potential of thermally activated titanium rich bauxite (TRB) for adsorptive removal of excess fluoride from drinking water was examined. Adsorption with respect to variation of pH, adsorbent dose, initial fluoride concentration, presence of interfering ions and heat treatment were investigated by batch equilibrium experiments. Thermal activation at moderate temperatures (300-450 degrees C) greatly increased the adsorption capacity of TRB. The rate of adsorption was rapid and maximum level was attained within 90 min. The uptake of fluoride increased with increasing pH, reached to a maximum at pH 5.5-6.5 and thereafter decreased. The adsorption kinetics was found to follow first order rate expression and the experimental equilibrium adsorption data fitted reasonably well to both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The presence of common interfering ions in drinking water did not greatly affect the uptake of fluoride from aqueous solution indicating F specific sorption behaviour of TRB. Nearly complete desorption of adsorbed fluoride from loaded bauxite was achieved by treating with aqueous solutions of pH > or =11.1 ([NaOH] > or =0.015 mol/dm(3)).