This study investigates the removal of Pb (II) from a real battery industry wastewater by batch and column studies using a weak acid cation (WAC) resin. Batch experiments carried out under different conditions yielded optimum conditions of t = 360 min and m = 0.1 g (2 gL(-1)). The mechanism of ion exchange was studied using kinetic and thermodynamic models. The temperature had a limited effect on the diffusion kinetics. The Gibbs free energy change (Delta G degrees) values were negative, corresponding to a spontaneous process of Pb (II) ion sorption onto the WAC resin. The plots obtained from the first loads of the column studies show the typical "S" shape of a packed-bed system with gradual breakthrough for both flow rates. Breakthrough was reached at 360 bed volume (BV) and 83 BV for flow rates of 1 m h(-1) and 3 m h-1, respectively. Capacity losses of 77% and 87% were obtained after regeneration. WAC resins were characterized based on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrum (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) images before and after column studies. (C) 2017 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.