Abstract: A method of treating a liquid medium to remove from it matter present therein comprises adding to the liquid medium at least one of an at least partially undried sorbing agent (a), a freshly prepared sorbing agent (b) and an in-situ sorbing agent (c). Sorbing agent (a) comprises a hydrotalcite-like material resulting from the preparation thereof in a liquid reaction medium, which preparation allows retention, in the hydrotalcite-like material, of at least 10% of free liquid, based on the weight of the hydrotalcite-like material, including the free liquid, and (a).sub.1 which sorbing agent is present in an amount, on a dry weight basis, of the sorbing agent, by volume of the liquid medium to be treated, of .ltoreq.0.035% w/v, or (a).sub.2 the preparation of the hydrotalcite-like material is such as to provide a grain size of the hydrotalcite-like material of .ltoreq.130 .ANG., as measured in the <001> direction by x-ray diffraction on a subsequently dried material.