Abstract: Cadmium (Cd), a highly toxic heavy metal, readily accumulates in soil and water bodies before entering the food chain, posing threats to ecosystems and human health. Consequently, remediation of Cd-contaminated environments has become a global environmental governance priority. Natural hematite, abundant in reserves, cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and chemically stable, possesses a certain capacity to remove heavy metal ions like Cd. However, its high crystallinity and limited surface-active sites constrain its Cd removal efficiency. Building upon prior research, this work investigated natural hematite and found that ball-milled sulfidation modification could enlarge its specific surface area and introduce sulfur functional groups, potentially enhancing interfacial reactivity. This study utilized natural hematite to prepare ball-milled sulfidized hematite (BMSH) for removing Cd(Ⅱ) from aqueous solutions, while investigating key factors affecting Cd(Ⅱ) removal efficiency (including solution pH, initial concentration, dosage, and reaction time). Characterization of the synthesized material via SEM, TEM, and XRD revealed that sulfur-modified hematite exhibited increased specific surface area, enhanced active sites, and the formation of FeS on its surface. The Cd(Ⅱ) removal mechanism of BMSH involves adsorption and displacement: Cd(Ⅱ) first chemisorbs onto the BMSH surface, where adsorbed Cd(Ⅱ) displaces Fe from the surface FeS. Subsequently, Cd combines with S to form CdS, achieving stable Cd(Ⅱ) removal. At 180min, BMSH achieved a Cd(Ⅱ) removal rate of 95.87%, five times that of natural hematite. Near-neutral conditions further enhanced BMSH’s Cd(Ⅱ) removal efficiency, with removal rates increasing with reaction time and dosage. The adsorption of Cd(Ⅱ) by BMSH in aqueous solutions is chemisorption, conforming to pseudo-second-order kinetic models (R²>0.9999). BMSH’s high reactivity and environmental adaptability confer promising application prospects for efficient Cd pollution removal. The BRIEF REPORT is available for this paper at http://www.ykcs.ac.cn/en/article/doi/10.15898/j.ykcs.202506110162.