Simultaneous removal of cationic, anionic and organic pollutants in highly acidic water using magnetic nanocomposite alginate beads

•Alginate beads impregnated with nanoparticles are fabricated.•The beads are used to simultaneously remove PO43-, Cu2+ and toluene from water.•The beads show excellent adsorption properties.•The adsorption process is spontaneous and exothermic.•Adsorption fitted the Langmuir isotherm and showed pseudo-second order kinetics.