Most of the available techniques for removal of heavy metals from solution such as leachates from waste sites are very expensive. The technique described in this paper is designed to study the removal of humic acid by alginate beads and the subsequent binding of the metals within the beads thus decreasing the leachability of heavy metals from a hazardous waste site. The entry of 500 mg/l humic acid into 3% calcium alginate beads in 24 h showed a distinct fluorescence as compared to the fluorescence shown by the entry of 100 and 250 mg/l of humic acid into alginate beads. Further, on treatment of calcium alginate beads containing 500 mg/l humic acid with metals such as Cu, Mn, Zn, Cr and Fe, quenching of fluorescence was noticed, which was maximum with Cu and minimum with Fe. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V All rights reserved.