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• Oxide debris (OD) was stripped from graphene oxide (GO) under alkaline conditions. • The adsorption capacity of GO for Pb(II) decreased following OD removal. • Pb(II) adsorbed to spent GO was released into water due to the detachment of OD. • Released Pb(II) readily dispersed in water in the form of OD-Pb(II), even at pH 8.3. The application of graphene oxide (GO) and its derivatives as adsorbents to remove heavy metal contaminants from industrial wastewaters has attracted increasing attention worldwide. Here, we investigated the role of oxidative debris (OD) on GO surfaces in the adsorption of Pb(II) under natural conditions. OD attached to GO surfaces can be removed under alkaline conditions, and plays a critical role in the adsorption of Pb(II) by GO. Specifically, the maximum adsorption capacity of Pb(II) on GO decreased from 926.50 to 357.64 mg·g−1 after OD removal. Under simulated natural alkaline groundwater conditions, some adsorbed Pb(II) was released with OD that was stripped from spent GO adsorbents (i.e., GO-Pb(II)). Further, batch experiments indicated that 1.30−1.43% of adsorbed Pb(II) could stably disperse in water as dissolved PbCO 3 and OD-Pb(II) complexes, at a pH of ~8.3. The stripping and dissociation of OD under alkaline conditions promoted the mobility of Pb(II) on GO adsorbents. This study enhances our understanding of heavy metal transport in natural alkaline groundwater environments that contain GO particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]