Two processes, adsorption after synthesis (AAS) and adsorption during synthesis (ADS) were compared in CrO42- and Zn2+/CrO42- removal. Kinetic results showed that ADS was a better method than AAS, since Cr content was 0.65/0.81 mmol/g in Cr-ADS/ZnCr-ADS, but it was only 0.37/0.56 mmol/g in Cr-AAS/ZnCr-AAS. Then, a low-cost mixture was proposed to function as ADS raw materials in treating real plating waters. This mixture first got an isothermal saturation of 1.1 mmol/g in simulated CrO42- water. When Zn2+ was co-treated, it was increased to 1.3 mmol/g. At the same time, a Zn2+ removal of 1.5 mmol/g was attained. Furthermore, real plating water co-treatment reached equilibrium in 6h and obtained 1.4/0.9 mmol/g for Zn2+/CrO42-, respectively. According to XRD analysis, this co-treatment enhancement resulted from the formation of Zn and Cr contained layered double hydroxide. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.