Divalent metal cation adsorption from solution onto oxides or activated carbons can be described by the Surface Complexation Model (SCM). We assumed that the adsorbent surface is strongly energetically heterogeneous and derived the adsorption isotherm using rectangular distribution of adsorption energy and condensation approximation for the local isotherm equation. Assuming additionally that the bulk concentration of divalent metal ion is low and does not change considerably during the adsorption process and next applying the Statistical Rate Theory of Interfacial Transport (SRT) we derived the Elovich equation-the experimental formula describing adsorption kinetics. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.