The removal efficiency of intermittently applied pesticides by a granular activated carbon bed preloaded with background organic matter (BOM) was examined using the rapid small-scale column test. Preloading with BOM decreased the removal efficiency of the pesticides. The removal efficiency was a function of the amount of BOM adsorbed, but was unrelated to the influent concentration of the pesticide. A modeling approach employing the ideal adsorbed solution theory and a linear driving-force expression for intraparticle surface diffusion adequately simulated these phenomena. Includes 30 references, tables, figures.