Abstract: This is an article in the field of mining engineering. The diatomite was modified with sodium dodecyl sulfonate and ferroferric oxide, and the influence of external factors on the adsorption effect was analyzed. And the experiment of the phase composition change and the microstructure change after the modified diatomite adsorbs heavy metal ions was carried out. The results show that when the modified diatomite content is 4 g/L, the adsorption time is 40 min, the temperature is set to 30 ℃, the pH value is set to 5, and the initial concentration is set to 200 mg/L, the adsorption of the modified diatomite is relatively good. The fitting degree of the Freundlich model to the test curve is above 0.90, and the fitting degree of the Langmuir model to the test curve is below 0.9, which shows that the Freundlich isotherm adsorption model is more suitable for the change law of the adsorption of heavy metal lead ions on modified diatomite. There is no significant difference in the characteristic diffraction peaks of the XRD pattern before and after the adsorption of lead ions on the modified diatomite. Only the peak intensity of the diffraction peak is reduced. However, the other mineral components inside the modified diatomite remain unchanged and the structure does not change significantly. This also shows that modified diatomaceous earth can effectively adsorb lead ions in sewage. However, the adsorption process is basically physical adsorption.