Laboratory experiments were conducted to study the adsorption of tri- and tetrachloroethylene on a variety of natural solids, from aquifer sandstone and marls to upper horizons of various soils. The organic carbon content (f(oc)) of the nine sorbents studied ranged from 0.13 to 1.20% and initial TCE and TeCE aqueous concentration from 1 to 1000 mug l-1. Sorption isotherms are linear and strongly, but not systematically, related to the f(oc) of the solids. The observed partition coefficients are used to calculate retardation factors as a function of aquifer porosity and organic carbon content.