Mesoporous silica-based materials have been synthesized and studied for applications in the environmental field. Haloacetic acids have been chosen as test compounds since they are byproducts of disinfection processes of water for human consumption. For this purpose mesoporous materials have been synthesized in acid, basic or neutral conditions. The effect of composition and synthesis conditions of mesoporous materials on their retention properties have been studied. The retention mechanism has also been elucidated in term of electrostatic interactions and as a function of the residual surfactant content in the materials.