A simple method was offered to synthesize porous attapulgite (ATP)/polymer beads. The polymeric network acts as both holder to support ATP inside the inner pore structure and as the obstacle to avoid the agglomeration of ATP during the adsorption process. Moreover, such beads are millimeter-size and can float on water surface, making such beads easy-to-handle and facile-to-recover without weight loss. The maximum adsorption capacity of such beads for Cu(II) and Cd(II) were 25.3 and 32.7 mg/g, respectively, and pH value plays a key role in determining the adsorption capacities. The ATP polymer beads also show good recycling ability and chemical stability. All these properties make such beads promising candidates as adsorbents for heavy metal removal. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.