In order to examine the availability and effectiveness of crab shell for the removal of heavy metals in aqueous solution, the crab shell was compared with cation exchange resin (CER), zeolite, granular activated carbon (GAC) and powdered activated carbon (PAC) on aspects of heavy metal removal capacity, rate and efficiency. In the removal of Pb, Cd and Cr, the heavy metal removal capacity of crab shell was higher than those of any other sorbents (CER, zeolite, GAC, PAC), and the order of heavy metal removal capacity was crab shell > CER > zeolite > PAC =～GAC. However, in the removal of Cu, the result of crab shell was slightly lower than that of CER. The initial heavy metal removal rate was affected by the sorts of sorbents and metals. In all heavy metals, the heavy metal removal rate of crab shell was higher than those of any other sorbents. Under the heavy metal concentration of 1.0 mmole/ℓ, the heavy metal removal efficiency of crab shell was maintained as 93∼100 %, which was much higher than those of any other sorbents.