Effective removal of metal ions from industrial wastewater by using fish scales was studied in this article. A series of static tests was performed with 10 g of dried fish scale adsorbent pulverized to micron sizes of 37 or less. Such tests were conducted for lead ions (from lead nitrate solution) at concentrations of 25 ppm, 12.5 ppm, and 6.25 ppm. The dynamic equilibrium results were based on tests on 50 ppm of cobalt chloride solution (flow rate 1 ml/min), followed by 100 ppm of cobalt solution (flow rate 7 ml/min), and then a mixture of cobalt chloride (CoCl2), lead nitrate (Pb(NO3)(2)), zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn(NO3)(2).6H(2)O) and strontium nitrate (Sr(NO3)(2)) solutions. The proposed sorption technique offers an acceptable solution for removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater streams. The potential application of this study is an enormous energy cost savings in the electroplating industry, which requires the replacement of wastewater and the burial of metal sludge in landfills. Also, the trimming of energy costs in oil drilling and pipeline corrosion is possible by potential formation of biopolymers developed from "adsorbed scale."