The modification of heavy-duty polyethylene films was carried out through the graft copolymerization of acrylamide and vinyl acetate mixtures of different compositions with the simultaneous radiation method. The influence of the synthesis conditions (the irradiation dose, comonomer composition, and dilution) on the degree of grafting was investigated. The grafted samples were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The effect of the grafting degree on the thermal stability of the modified polymer was examined. The extraction of heavy and toxic metals such as cadmium, cobalt, copper, nickel, and lead by the modified heavy-duty polyethylene was evaluated, and the metal-ion uptake by the grafted and chemically treated samples seemed better than that of the grafted and untreated ones. Both the rate and amount of the metal-ion uptake were affected by the temperature of the feed solution and the grafting degree. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.