Nowadays,　by　rapid　development　of　economies　and　industries,　water　contamination　through　the　heavy　metal　ions　(toxic,　non-toxic　and　radioactive)　is　a　great　concern　and　an　important　environmental　problem.　Currently,　numerous　techniques　such　as　chemical　precipitation,　coagulation,　ion-exchange,　filtration,　reverse　osmosis,　biological　treatment　and　physical　adsorption　are　presented　by　researchers　for　removing　and　recycling　heavy　metal　ions　from　wastewater.　Among　these　methods,　adsorption　approach　is　one　of　the　most　efficient　techniques　for　the　elimination　of　heavy　metal　ions　from　aqueous　solutions.　There　are　a　number　of　low　cost　absorbent　such　as　agricultural　and　industrial　solid　waste　such　as　lingo-cellulosic　materials,　wheat　bran,　peanut　shell,　moss　peat,　fly　ash,　bagasse,　tree　fern,　gram　husk,　nanostructures　(such　as　TiO2,　SiO2,　SnO2,　ZnO,　etc.),　3D　porous　structures　(aerogels),　etc.　which　have　been　developed　and　tested　to　efficient　removal　of　heavy　metal　ions　from　wastewater.　In　this　study,　a　critical　review　of　the　applications　of　aerogels　in　water　and　sewage　purifications　is　performed.　For　this　reason,　different　kinds　of　aerogel　namely　organic,　inorganic　and　organic-inorganic　hybrid　aerogels　are　investigated.　It　is　concluded　that　the　most　applicable　aerogels　used　in　these　studies　are　graphene-based　aerogels　due　to　more　porous　structure　as　well　as　simplification　of　their　modification.　Also,　in　this　review　paper,　for　the　first　time　we　summarized　and　highlighted　the　recent　literature　information　about　heavy　metal　ions　and　theirs　removal　methods　from　aqueous　pollutants　and　wastewater/water,　adsorption　kinetics,　isotherms　and　thermodynamics　models　by　different　type　of　three　dimensional　(3D)　porous　structure.　In　additional,　in　this　review　article,　the　influence　of　various　parameters　such　as　pH　solution,　temperature,　initial　concentration　of　heavy　metal　ions,　composition,　contact　time,　coexisting　ions　and　adsorbent　dosage　on　the　adsorption　process　of　heavy　metal　ions　were　investigated.　©　2020　Elsevier　B.V.