Bacterial cellulose/attapulgite magnetic composites as an efficient adsorbent for heavy metal ions and dye treatment

•Bacterial cellulose (BC) was oxidized and blended with magnetic attapulgite.•The adsorption toward Cu2+ and Cr6+ is preferential to that of Pb2+ and reached equilibrium very fast in 60 min.•Magnetic ATP@(BCNs/CS) presented much larger adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) and congo red.•The adsorption capacity decreased less than 8% after five adsorption-desorption cycles.