Microalgae serve as efficient biosorbents for the removal of heavy metals. This study investigates the adsorption and desorption behavior of Tetradesmus obliquus FACHB-14 (T. obliquus) under various culture conditions. Glucose cultivation enhances adsorption, with Pb2+ exhibiting higher capacity than Cd2+, reaching a maximum of 80.24 mg/g at an initial heavy metal ion concentration of 64 mg/L. Kinetic modeling favors the pseudo-second-order kinetics. The Langmuir model is more suitable for describing the adsorption process of Cd2+ in BG11 and Pb2+ in glucose, with maximum adsorption capacities of 6.48 mg/g and 86.29 mg/g, respectively. The Temkin model is more suitable for describing the adsorption process of Pb2+ in BG11 and Cd2+ in glucose. Competitive adsorption reduces the maximum capacity by 42.60 % for Cd2+ and 55.61 % for Pb2+. The Extended Freundlich model fits competitive behavior. Analysis reveals increased extracellular polymer secretion under glucose conditions, which aids adsorption. Na2EDTA achieves up to 97.37 % recovery of heavy metal ions. Overall, T. obliquus cultured with glucose shows promise for heavy metal removal, especially in mixed systems.