ABSTRACTSorption and desorption of 1, 2, 3-trichlorobenzene (TCB) and 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene (TeCB) onto wood char prepared from maple wood shavings heated at 500°C were studied in the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM), including humic acid (HA), L-malic acid (L-MA), and peptone. Compared to TCB, TeCB exhibited more nonlinear and stronger sorption onto wood char. Nonlinearity of the sorption isotherms increased in the presence of DOM. The presence of HA enhanced the sorption capacity and desorption hysteresis of TCB and TeCB on wood char mainly due to the strong sorption of HA on wood char surface. Moreover, there were positive relations between Kd values of TCB and TeCB and the HA concentration (p < 0.01). In contrast, peptone reduced the sorption capacity and increased the sorption reversibility because of the partition of TCB and TeCB in peptone solution. L-MA at 50-200 mg·L−1 also leads to a decrease in sorption capacity and irreversibility attributed to solubilization, although the sorbed L-MA on the wood char surface can slightly increase TCB and TeCB sorption. At the same concentration, peptone leads to a higher decrease in TCB sorption than L-MA. Also, negative correlations were found between Kd values of TCB and TeCB and the L-MA and peptone concentration (p < 0.01). Our results may help to understand the different impacts of DOM on the transport and fate of halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons in aquatic environments polluted with chars.