Oxyanions of various contaminant elements, such as chromium, antimony, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium and uranium, are removed from water and other aqueous feeds by treating the feed with (1) a sorbent comprising one or more rare earth compounds, usually mixed or supported on particulate solids having a cation exchange capacity less than 20 milliequivalents per 100 grams or (2) an aqueous solution of one or more soluble rare earth compounds.