In　this　study,　gold　nanoparticles　(AuNPs)　and　ZnO-decorated　zirconia　(AuNPs/ZnO-ZrO2)　were　synthesized　through　co-precipitation　and　hydrolysis　coupled　with　heat　treatment,　and　explored　as　a　novel　adsorbent　for　arsenic　removal　from　aqueous　solution.　The　effects　of　synthesis　parameters　were　examined,　such　as　support　type,　Zn/Zr　mole　ratio,　co-precipitation　method　and　calcination　temperature.　X-ray　powder　diffraction　(XRD),　field-emission　scanning　electron　microscopy　(FE-SEM),　high　resolution　transmission　electron　microscopy　(HR-TEM),　Fourier　transform　infrared　spectroscopy　(FT-IR),　X-ray　photoelectron　spectroscopy　(XPS)　and　N2　adsorption　were　used　to　investigate　the　enhancement　of　arsenic　adsorption　on　the　hybrid　composites.　It　was　found　that　the　adsorption　property　of　AuNPs/ZnO-ZrO2　was　strongly　dependent　on　support　type,　Zn/Zr　mole　ratio,　co-precipitation　method　and　calcination　temperature.　The　optimized　AuNPs/ZnO-ZrO2　exhibited　the　best　adsorption　capacity　for　arsenic　at　lower　concentrations　(less　than　8　mg　L−1),　compared　with　ZnO-decorated　zirconia　(ZnO-ZrO2)　and　bare　zirconia　(ZrO2).　The　enhanced　adsorption　of　arsenic　by　AuNPs/ZnO-ZrO2　was　ascribed　to　the　larger　specific　surface　area,　abundant　hydroxyl　groups　and　co-existance　of　ionic　gold　(Au(OH)2+)　and　gold　clusters　(Auδ+)　highly　dispersed　on　the　surface　which　could　act　as　smart　scavengers　for　low-concentration　arsenic　from　water.　The　adsorption　equilibrium　of　arsenic　on　AuNPs/ZnO-ZrO2　fitted　to　the　Langmuir,　Brunauer–Emmett–Teller　(BET)　and　Gunary　models　well　and　the　Gunary　model　gave　the　best　fit.　Isotherm　analysis　results　showed　that　the　adsorption　of　arsenic　on　AuNPs/ZnO-ZrO2　occurred　dominantly　through　monolayer　formation　but　was　a　non-ideal　Langmuir　type　adsorption.　However,　ZnO-ZrO2　showed　much　higher　adsorption　capacity　for　arsenic　than　that　of　ZrO2,　which　was　mainly　attributed　to　the　formation　of　basic　zinc　carbonate　(BZC)　with　rich　structural　hydroxyl　groups　and　to　the　improvement　in　surface　properties　of　zirconia.　Significant　multilayer　adsorption　was　able　to　proceed　on　the　surface　at　higher　arsenic　concentrations　(more　than　8　mg　L−1),　obeying　the　BET　isotherm.　©　2020　Elsevier　B.V.