A mont-La (6%)-Cu0.6Cd0.4S nanocomposite was prepared by a simple cation exchange and impregnation method and its application for the phenol removal from wastewater was studied. The photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (XEDS) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS). Phenol in aqueous solution was used as a model compound for evaluation of near UV-vis (filter cut-off for lambda >= 366 nm) photocatalytic activity. We have studied the following parameters: load of photocatalyst, load of phenol, pH, [O-2], and irradiation wavelength. Within 240 min, heterogeneous suspensions of 1 g.L-1 of mont-La (6%)-Cu0.6Cd0.4S nanocomposite allowed removal of ca. 86% of 20 mg.L-1 solution of phenol at pH = 5.44, with dissolved oxygen from air, with 77.8% TOC removal. The kinetics of photocatalytic transformation followed the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model. Pseudo-first-order kinetics adequately fitted the experimental data and the obtained rate constants are reported. With the mont-La (6%)-Cu0.6Cd0.4S catalyst 84% removal of phenol degradation efficiency was achieved after five consecutive photocatalytic cycles. Twelve main photoproducts were observed from phenol photodegradation, using HPLC-MS. The used photocatalyst is promising for green chemistry use in abatement of persistent organic pollutants. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.