Herein, a series of novel carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/pectin-based hydrogel beads were synthesized with chitosan as a cross-linker. The hydrogel composites were denoted as CPC-1/2/3/4/5, with varying mass ratios of CMC, pectin, and chitosan (6:0:1, 5:1:1, 4:2:1, 3:3:1, and 2:4:1). This is the pioneering study that investigates the synergistic effects of these biopolymers in a single hydrogel system for the adsorption of heavy metals, specifically Cd