Mechanistic insight and rapid co-adsorption of nitrogen pollution from micro-polluted water over MgAl-layered double hydroxide composite based on zeolite

•Layered double hydroxide composite was prepared for NH4+ and NO3− co-removal.•The composite rapidly co-adsorption NH4+ and NO3− within 10–30 min.•The response surface methodology optimized the preparation parameters.•The co-adsorption process showed little pH dependence in the pH range of 4–8.•The NH4+ and NO3− remove rates in actual river water were both above 97.62%.