Crosslinked carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan (CMKGM) with degrees of substitution (DS) 0.265 and 0.550 were prepared through reaction of monochloroacetic acid (MCA), konjac glucomannan (KGM) and epichlorohydrin and used to adsorb CU2+ Pb2+ and Cd2+ ions from the aqueous solutions. Regardless of the metal ion species, the adsorption capacity rapidly reached equilibrium within 20 min and adsorption followed secondorder kinetic equation. The effect of pH on adsorption was apparent, the appropriate range was 5-6. The adsorptions of three metal ions are well followed as the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The maximum adsorption capacity (Q(m)) and Langmuir constant (b) of CMKGM (DS = 0.550) for Pb2+ were 41.7 mg/g and 0.305 mg/L. These values were higher than those for Cu2+ and Cd2+. Among the tested ions, the order of adsorption capacity was Ph2+ > Cu2+ > Cd2+ in mass basis. The regeneration study indicates that CMKGM could be used repeatedly without significantly changing their adsorption capacities and desorption percentage. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.