Abstract: For satisfying the demands of atmospheric radionuclide monitoring, a multistage adsorption-desorption method for enriching and purifying atmospheric xenon was studied. Because the desorption behaviors of xenon, carbon dioxide and radon are different in the process of adsorption on the column of activated charcoal, the desorption curves of xenon, carbon dioxide and radon are totally different also. Xenon can be enriched and purified by transfering the desorbed gas to the next adsorption column according to the desorption time of xenon. A xenon sample with high concentration was prepared by adsorption-desorption process in the multistage columns of activated charcoal. The enrichment coefficient of xenon is 10⁵-10⁶, the decontamination coefficient of radon is more than 10⁵, and the volume fraction of carbon dioxide in the sample is lower than 4×10^-5. This method can be utilized in the enrichment and purification of one given component with very low concentration in a gas mixture.