Abstract: Citron activated carbon(AC-CM), cassia twig activated carbon(AC-RC) and isatis roots activated carbon(AC-IT) were prepared from the residues of citron(CM), cassia twig(RC) and isatis roots(IT) by Na2CO3 activation at 800℃ for 1.5 h. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) measurements were used to characterize the activated carbons, and the pH value and pHpzc of the activated carbons were also determined. Three kinetic and two isotherm models were applied to analyze the dynamic and isotherm experiment data of the adsorption of cefradine on the activated carbons, respectively. The effects of initial pH and NaCl mass concentration on the adsorption were also studied. The results indicated that the specific surface areas of AC-CM, AC-RC and AC-IT were 453.32, 413.78 and 230.06 m2/g, the corresponding pH values were 9.70, 8.23 and 9.24, and the pHpzc values were 9.28, 9.21 and 9.38. The FT-IR spectra showed that the surface groups of the activated carbons were main C=O, C=C and nitrogen containing group, and the SEM images showed there were many pore structures. The pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion model fit the kinetics for the adsorption of cefradine on three activated carbons and the adsorption rate were controlled by intraparticle diffusion and chemisorption. The Freundlich isotherm model matched the isotherm experiment data more appropriate than Langmuir model and the n>1 showed that the adsorption process was easy to carry out. And the initial pH value of the solution had an obvious effect on adsorption process, the maximum cefradine adsorption quantities on AC-CM, AC-RC and AC-IT were 74.76, 79.44 and 62.55 mg/g, respectively, with the initial pH value 3, 100 mg/L cefradine solution, 0.1 g activated carbon and adsorption for 48 h. And the existence of NaCl in the solution increased the adsorption quantity of activated carbon.