Interactions between cadmium and lead with acidic soils: Experimental evidence of similar adsorption patterns for a wide range of metal concentrations and the implications of metal migration

► Adsorption experiments of Cd and Pb in acid soils (China, France). ► Large pH conditions and large range of metal concentrations were considered. ► Similar dependencies between metals concentration in solution and metal adsorbed on the surface were predicted using Langmuir and Freundlich equations and surface complexation model (SCM). ► No competition between Cd and Pb detected at pH 5. ► Metal adsorption capacity is two orders of magnitude higher than limit value for soil protection.