A series of chitosan-g-poly(acrylic acid)/attapulgite/sodium humate (CTS-g-PAA/APT/SH) composite hydrogels incorporated with various amounts of APT were used as adsorbents for the removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solution. The effects of adsorption (pH and concentration of Pb(II) in solution, dosage and particle size of composite hydrogels) and desorption (the kind and concentration of desorbing agent, recyclability) parameters are discussed in detail from use of a batch adsorption technique. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of the CTS-g-PAA/APT/SH composite hydrogels for Pb(II) increases with increasing pH and concentration of Pb(II) in solution but decreases with increasing adsorbent dosage. It is found that the composite hydrogel with a particle size of (40 to 100) mesh is an appropriate choice. The adsorption isotherms of the CTS-g-PAA/APT/SH composite hydrogels for Pb(II) could be described very well by the Langmuir equation, but not the Freundlich equation. Considering the economy and performance, 0.05 M HCl solution is the best desorbing agent. The introduced APT and SH are a benefit for recycling the composite hydrogel, and the adsorption capacity is still higher than 590 mg.g(-1) after five consecutive adsorption-desorption processes.