We have studied the capacity of the drying agent silica gel (SG) to absorb isoflurane from gas samples. When dry, SG was able to absorb 31 times its own volume of isoflurane vapour, which could be recovered almost completely from the SG by displacement with water vapour. However, we were unable to demonstrate any significant absorption of isoflurane by wet SG. Care must be taken, therefore, when using SG as a drying agent in the sampling line of an analyser during research involving volatile anaesthetic agents.