Competitive adsorption of molybdate, selenite, selenate, chromate, and sulfate onto gamma-Al2O3 was investigated in the present study. Binary-solute systems of MoO42-/SeO32-, CrO42-/SO32-, and CrO42-/SeO42- as well as single anion systems were evaluated for the relative influence on competitive adsorption on oxide surface. As would be expected, the adsorption density of each anion in the binary-solute systems decreases, as compared to the respective density in a single anion system. Furthermore, MoO42- inhibits SeO32- adsorption in acidic condition and that SO42- or SeO42- depresses CrO42-. The order of the relative retainment of anions on oxide surface is molybdate > selenite > selenate sulfate > chromate, which corresponds to the magnitude of the overall proton coefficient of the corresponding anions. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.