The characteristics of adsorption and desorption of DNA by Red soil colloid, Latosol colloid, Chao colloid and Cinnamon colloid at different pH values were studied using a batch method. It showed that there was an increase of solution pH after adsorption of DNA by the four soil colloids in both NaCl and KCl electrolyte systems. The increasing ranges of pH values were in order of Red soil colloid > Latosol colloid > Chao colloid > Cinnamon colloid, and NaCl electrolyte system > KCl electrolyte system. The amounts of DNA adsorption on soil colloids decreased with the increase of pH value. The maximum amounts of DNA adsorption in different colloids were about 13.1-14.8 microg x mg(-1) when pH values were 2-4. The decreasing ranges of the amounts of DNA adsorption were about 5.5 microg x mg(-1) in NaCl electrolyte system and 2.1 Mg x mg(-1) in KCl electrolyte system in Red soil colloid and Latosol colloid after the rising of equilibrium solution pH from 4.2 to 8.6, whereas the remarked decreasing ranges of the adsorption amounts of DNA were about 8.3-12.2 microg x mg(-1) on Chao colloid and Cinnamon colloid in two electrolyte systems. The decreasing ranges of DNA adsorption were in order of the constant charge (Chao soil and Cinnamon) colloids > the variable charge (Red soil and Latosol) colloids. The differences of desorption on the variable and the constant charge colloids are very significant while the DNA adsorbed was desorbed with NaOAc solution and NaH2 PO4 solution. The desorption percent desorption of DNA as NaH2PO4 desorbent was 23.5%-40.2% larger on the variable charge colloids than 8.8%-21.6% on the constant charge of colloids at the three different solution pH values of 3, 5 and 7, while that as NaOAc desorbent was 72.3%-85.9% larger on the constant charge colloids than 10%-24.5% on the variable charge colloids. These results implied that the ligand exchange played a more important role in DNA adsorption on the variable charge colloids, and electrostatic interactions did on the constant charge colloids. This is the differences of DNA adsorption and desorption on different charge colloid surfaces.