A new porous chelating fiber (PE-MA-NN) was prepared with polyethylene for the removal of Pb(II) from water. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (C-13 NMR) were used to characterize PE-MA-NN. The batch kinetic study indicated that the adsorption of Pb(II) could be well-fitted by a pseudo-second-order equation, suggesting intraparticle diffusion process as the rate-limiting step of the adsorption process. By using the Elovich equation, the initial adsorption rate of Pb(II) onto PE-MA-NN was calculated to be 394.084 mg (g min)(-1). The Langmuir equation fit the experimental data well, and the monolayer saturation adsorption value was more than 500 mg g(-1) for Pb(II). When the temperature was increased within the range, of 278-308 K, the adsorption entropy changes of PE-MA-NN were from similar to 95.30 J mol(-1) K to similar to 96.01 J mol(-1) K. Although the presence of Ca2+ in solution had a negligible effect on the removal of Pb(II), PE-MA-NN could retain over 90% of its adsorption capacity, even if the Ca2+ concentration was up to 280 mg L-1. Both 1 M HCl and 0.1 M EDTA solution could be used as effective eluants to desorb the Pb(II) that has been adsorbed by PE-MA-NN, and the adsorption capacity could still be maintained at a high level at the fifth cycle.