The adsorption of Zn(II) and Cu(II) ions onto two dry macrophytes used as biosorbents was investigated in batch systems. All single and binary metal sorption experiments using Egeria densa and Eicchornia crassipes biomasses as biosorbents were performed under constant shaking, at pH 5, with mixed grain size, and drying and sorption temperatures of 30°C. A 20-45 min equilibrium time range was attained with E. densa, whereas a 30-60 min equilibrium time was achieved with E. crassipes. It was also found that the overall adsorption kinetic data was best described by the pseudo second-order kinetic model, and that the intra-particle diffusion model was involved in the sorption process. An extended-to-multi-component Langmuir-type isotherm model and a parameter identification procedure based on the PSO method have been effectively used for the reproduction of the experimental data and the prediction of the maximum adsorption capacities of Zn(II) and Cu(II) ions in a binary metal ion solution. Finally, E. densa and E. crassipes biomasses exhibited opposite metal adsorption affinity order in the Zn(II)-Cu(II) binary system. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.