The surface chemical properties, adsorption and oxidation characteristics on heavy metal elements between iron-manganese
cutans and their matrix soils in yellow cinnamon soil, yellow brown earth and red soil were studied in subtropical zone in China. The results show that the specific surface area is larger and point of zero charge (PZC) is lower in the cutan than that in the matrix soil which related to the high contents of clays, organic matters and iron-manganese oxides in the iron-manganese cutans. PZC measured by STPT method are 3.13, 3.65 and 3.90 for the matrixes of the yellow cinnamon soil, yellow brown earth and red soil, and 3.26 and 3.42 for the iron-manganese cutans of the yellow brown earth and red soil. The cutans adsorbed more Pb2+, Cu2+, Cd2+and Zn2+and oxidized more Cr3+than the matrix soils. The maximum of heavy metal elements (Pb2+, Cu2+, Cd2+and Zn2+) adsorbed by the cutans deprived of manganese oxides decreased 53%～100%compared with those adsorbed by the cutans in the three soils. The maximum of Cr3+oxidized by the cutans deprived of the manganese oxides decreased 87%～100%compared with those oxidized by the cutans of the soils. These show that manganese oxides in the tested iron-manganese cutans were the main sorbents in adsorbing heavy metal ions and main oxidants in oxidizing Cr3+.