The study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of 4.0-4.75 mm crushed shells and Sphagnum peat moss as low-cost natural adsorbent filter materials for the removal of cadmium and nickel ions from binary aqueous solutions. The effects of column depth and flow rate on effluent metal breakthrough, metal removal and pH were investigated as a function of throughput volume (TPV). Metal removal efficiencies and adsorption capacities for each of the columns were estimated to identify the better filter material and operational conditions for the treatment of cadmium and nickel. During the column testing, a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min (surface loading of 27.5 cm(3)/cm(2) day) and bed depth of 15 cm were found to represent the better operational conditions, where 47.9% and 42.7% cadmium and nickel cumulative removals were obtained under these operational conditions. respectively. The results will be valuable in the development of a mixed-media adsorption system for the treatment of metal-rich wastewaters such as municipal landfill leachate. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.