This study evaluated the adsorption efficiency of chestnut shell (CS), oak derived sawdust (Q) and chemically modified sawdust (SH-Q) for removing lead (Pb) in aqueous solution. Langmuir isothermal adsorption model was well fitted to the experimental data. The maximum adsorption capacities (qm) as determined by the Langmuir equation at pH 5 were 31.3 mg g<SUP>-1</SUP>, 8.9 mg g<SUP>-1</SUP> and 27.0 mg g<SUP>-1</SUP> for CS, Q and SH-Q, respectively. After equilibrium, the pH of aqueous solution was decreased from the initial pH 5.1 to pH 4.5 in CS and Q treatments. However, the pH of the solution including SH-Q treatment was not affected by the adsorbent. To identify the adsorption mechanism, various kinetic models and diffusion models were used. The kinetic experimental data was well fitted to pseudo-second-order compared to pseudo-first-order by all biosorbents. Moreover, the adsorption of Pb by all biosorbents followed two models of the particle diffusion and the intraparticle diffusion. Net reaction energy (Ea) and thermodynamic parameters were also evaluated. In adsorption reaction associated with whole tested biosorbents, the values of Ea, free energy (ΔG?), enthalpy (ΔH?) and entropy (ΔS?) were 1.10~104.46 kJ mol<SUP>-1</SUP>, -8.27~7.03 kJ mol-1, 0.41~166.86 kJ mol<SUP>-1</SUP> and 0.01~0.56 kJ mol<SUP>-1</SUP>, respectively.