Distinctive adsorption equilibria and kinetic models are of extensive use in explaining the biosorption of heavy metals, denoting the need to highlight and summarize their essential issues, which is the main purpose of this paper. As a general trend, up until now, most studies on the biosorption of heavy metal ions by miscellaneous biosorbent types have been directed toward the uptake of single metal in preference to multicomponent systems. In particular, Langmuir and Freundlich models are the most common isotherms for correlating biosorption experimental data though other isotherms, which were initially established for gas phase applications, can also be extended onto biosorption system. In kinetic modeling, the pseudo-first and -second order equations are considered as the most celebrated models. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.