In this research, sulfolane removal from contaminated waters by aerobic biodegradation and adsorption were investigated. Sulfolane, an industrial solvent commonly used for sweetening of natural gas has recently emerged as a contaminant of concern because of its widespread use and detection in groundwaters around many gas processing sites. In this study, aerobic biodegradation of sulfolane by Pseudomonas sp. strain or Archaea strain and mixed bacterial cultures were studied. The investigation included a study on Pseudomonas sp. which had been acclimated to water contaminated with sulfolane. Parametric studies on the impact of co-contaminant, initial sulfolane concentration and soil content on biodegradation of sulfolane by acclimated Pseudomonas sp. were also conducted. The results showed that Pseudomonas sp. performed much better than Archaea in degrading sulfolane. Pseudomonas sp. and Archaea added to aquifer sediments containing indigenous microbes achieved higher sulfolane degradation. Acclimation of Pseudomonas sp. to sulfolane environment sufficiently mitigated the lag period before the onset of biodegradation process. Batch and fixed-bed adsorption experiments were conducted using activated carbon to remove sulfolane from aqueous media. Nine different commercially available activated carbons with different particle sizes and surface characteristics were obtained, and their effectiveness in removing sulfolane from water were evaluated. The impact of operational parameters such as pH, temperature, water quality and presence of co-contaminants on sulfolane adsorption was also investigated. In addition, pilot scale experiments were conducted to assess the applicability of activated carbon adsorption under field conditions. The results indicated that coconut shell based activated carbon has the highest sulfolane adsorption capacity. It was also noted that adsorption was significantly affected by the presence of co-contaminants. The pilot study indicated that activated carbon can be used to remove sulfolane from groundwater.