Acid　mine　wastewater　from　mining　industries　leads　to　serious　environmental　problems　due　to　its　acidic　nature　and　high　levels　of　hazardous　heavy　metal　ions.　Thus,　it　is　important　to　develop　novel　adsorbent　materials　for　selective　removing　heavy　metal　ions.　In　this　work,　an　amorphous　molybdenum　sulphide　functionalized　dipicolyamine　exchanger　were　prepared　and　ultilised　to　scavenge　toxic　heavy　metal　ions　from　both　synthetic　and　real　acid　mine　waste　water　(copper　mining　industry).　This　new　exchanger　combines　the　advantages　of　exceptional　heavy　metal　affinities　from　molybdenum　sulphide　and　engineered　macroporous　structure　from　dipicolylamine　resin.　The　results　of　batch　and　fixed-bed　column　tests　suggest　high　selectivity　towards　heavy　metals,　fast　adsorption　kinetics,　good　reusability　and　excellent　adsorption　capacities　in　the　sequence　of　Hg(II)≫Cd(II)　＞　Cu(II).　The　metal　adsorption　mechanism　has　been　demonstrated　by　X-ray　Photoelectron　Spectroscopy　(XPS).　Our　findings　support　the　potential　practical　application　of　this　new　material　for　scavenging　heavy　metal　ions　in　mining　wastewater.　©　2020　Elsevier　B.V.