Adsorption of cadmium(II) on humic acid coated titanium dioxide

► Humic acid (HA) coated titanium dioxide (HA-TiO2) was prepared and well characterized. ► HA coating on nano-TiO2 significantly enhanced the adsorption of Cd(II). ► The adsorption mechanisms of Cd(II) onto HA-TiO2 were interpreted with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).