**Abstract**

The versatility of natural clay and their ability to adsorb a variety of environmental contaminants present in the water effluents has attracted esthetic concern among environmentalist. These practical applications rely primarily on the diversity of natural clay structure to retain harmful and undesirable substances from the immediate environment. The adsorptive capability of natural clays is related to the fundamental units of the clay-sized crystalline minerals which present in different combinations.

**Keywords:** clay mineral, classification, application, bentonite, kaolinite
