Engineering sodium alginate-based cross-linked beads with high removal ability of toxic metal ions and cationic dyes.

•Novel sodium alginate (SA)-based beads are prepared facilely in a large scale.•The SA-based beads exhibited ultrahigh adsorption amounts for cationic dyes.•The SA-based beads exhibited high adsorption amounts for heavy metal ions.•The cross-linked SA-based beads were stable under different pH solutions.