The purpose of the present study was to investigate the Cu2+ biosorption properties of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria. The composition and physicochemical characteristics of EPS were determined. The adsorption characteristics of EPS towards Cu2+ were examined using thermodynamic equilibrium equations and determined by FTIR and SEM-EDS. The EPS was shown to have a strong copper-binding capacity and the biosorption data obtained were well described by the Freundlich isotherm model. The results of FTIR spectra and SEM-EDS confirmed the importance of the C—O—C group, —OH group and carbonyl group from polysaccharides and proteins in Cu2+ sorption by EPS. These findings suggest the potential of EPS produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria for the removal of Cu(Ⅱ) ion from aqueous solution.