Oxidized cellulose (oxycellulose) was very effectively used in the form of filter sheets to remove some metal ions from water and from aqueous solutions. Furthermore, oxycellulose was applied in an ion-exchange column and in a batch process. The mechanisms of the sorption process inside oxycellulose as well as the kinetics of sorption were studied. A. comparison of oxycellulose and other adsorption components such as zeolites and ion-exchange resins was made. The affinity of oxycellulose to metal ions was determined to be in the following order: Cd2+, Zn2+ > Ni2+ >> Ca2+ > Mg2+ >> Na+. The use of oxycellulose was very effective, especially in the form of sorption filters, because this allowed us to use a simple filtration process. Moreover, the specific loading amount Of the filter cake was higher for filtration than for the column process under comparable conditions. Oxycellulose in a glass column behaved similarly to an ion-exchange resin. It showed approximately constant efficiency until the sorption capacity of the adsorbent was exhausted, and then it suddenly dropped. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 112: 669-678, 2009