The biosorption of Cu(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) by a dried green macroalga Caulerpa lentillifera was investigated. The sorption kinetic
data could be fitted to the pseudo second order kinetic model. The governing transport mechanisms in the sorption process were both
external mass transfer and intra-particle diffusion. Isotherm data followed the Sips isotherm model with the exponent of approximately
unity suggesting that these biosorption could be described reasonably well with the Langmuir isotherm. The maximum sorption capacities
of the various metal components on C. lentillifera biomass could be prioritized in order from high to low as: Pb(II) > Cu(II) >
Cd(II). The sorption energies obtained from the Dubinin–Radushkevich model for all sorption systems were in the range of 4–6 kJ mol1
indicating that a physical electrostatic force was potentially involved in the sorption process. Thomas model could well describe the
breakthrough data from column experiments. Ca(II), Mg(II), and Mn(II) were the major ions released from the algal biomass during
the sorption which revealed that ion exchange was one of the main sorption mechanisms.