Mill scale, an iron waste, was used to separate magnetite particles for the adsorption of phosphate from aqueous solution. Mill scale has a layered structure composed of wustite (FeO), magnetite (Fe3O4), and hematite (Fe2O3). Because magnetite shows the highest magnetic property among these iron oxides, it can be easily separated from the crushed mill scale particles. Several techniques were employed to characterize the separated particles. Mill scale-derived magnetite particles exhibited a strong uptake affinity to phosphate in a wide pH range of 3-7, with the maximum adsorptive removal of 100%, at the dosage of 1 g/L, pH 3-5. Langmuir isotherm model well described the equilibrium data, exhibiting maximum adsorption capacities for phosphate up to 4.95 and 8.79 mg/g at 298 and 308 K, respectively. From continuous operation of the packed-bed column reactor operated with different EBCT (empty bed contact time) and adsorbent particle size, the breakthrough of phosphate started after 8-22 days of operation. After regeneration of the column reactor with 0.1N NaOH solution, 95-98% of adsorbed phosphate could be detached from the column reactor.