Isolation of different elements from effluent water obtained from the red meat and the poultry industry was done using a series of modified chitosan cross-linked with glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, epichlorohydrine, maleic anhydride, p-benzoquinone, poly-(ethylene) glycoldiglycidyl ether (PEG diglycidyl ether), 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, 1,3-dichloroaceone, acrylic acid and s-methylbutylamine. Some parameters of the "22" chitosan derivatives crosslinked products each of red meat and poultry wastewater samples were analyzed like electrical conductance, pH, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand and total dissolved solids. All these parameters values were within the permissible values of effluent discharge in the literature study. Different cross-linked chitosan products were tested for their ability to adsorb different elements from the red meat and poultry effluent wastewaters. ICP-OES analysis revealed the presence of up to "18" elements in both samples (Ca, Mg, Na, K, Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Si, Sr and Zn). Both results also showed the presence of alkali and alkaline earth group metals (Ca, Mg, Na and K) as major elements (> 100 mg/L). The performance of each cross linked chitosan product was assessed based on the amount (concentration) and the quantity of elements adsorbed. Amongst the "22" of cross-linked chitosan products tested in this study, shrimp chitosan cross-linked with maleic anhydride (J1), shrimp chitosan cross-linked with acrylic acid (I2) chitosan products were shown to be better adsorbants for Cr and Ni due to the possible influence of the amino, carboxylic, hydroxyl, etc. functional groups in these chitosan products. Results also showed the presence of smaller concentrations (0.05–0.2 mg/L) of heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu and Pb) in the eluted solution which suggests the versatility of the adsorbent to different elements.