PURPOSE: To efficiently adsorb off a heavy metal contained in an alcohol used for the production of medicines, for sterilization, for cleansing electronic engineering parts such as substrates, by bringing the heavy metal-containing alcohol into contact with an adsorbent comprising a chemically modified silica gel.

CONSTITUTION: For example, a column having an inner diameter of 4.6mm and a length of 15mm and equipped with a stainless steel filter having a pore diameter of 2μ is packed inside with an adsorbent comprising a chemically modified silica gel such as octadecyl group-modified spherical silica gel (average diameter: 120 angstrom; average particle diameter: 5μ; and modification rate: 2.1μmol/m2), and an alcohol such as isopropyl alcohol containing 0.5ppm of Fe and 0.5ppm of Cu is passed through the column. The measurement of the heavy metals in the effluent gives a Fe content of ≥0.05ppm and a Cu content of ≥0.05ppm, and the heavy metals contained in the alcohol used for the medicine production, sterilization and electronic industry, especially in isopropyl alcohol used for cleansing electronic industrial parts such as substrates are efficiently adsorbed off.