A novel high-porosity adsorbent material for selective adsorption of fluoride ions, arsenic ions and phosphate ions as well as a method for the preparation thereof are disclosed. The adsorbent material consists of a porous carrier material such as crosslinked polyacrylate resin beads and a crystalline hydrous zirconium oxide impregnating the pores of the carrier in the monoclinic or cubic crystal form. The adsorbent material is prepared by soaking the carrier material with an alcohol solution of a zirconium compound such as zirconium oxychloride to impregnate the pores with the zirconium compound, followed by hydrolysis of the zirconium compound with an aqueous alkaline solution to convert the same into zirconium hydroxide and subjecting the carrier material impregnated with zirconium hydroxide to a hydrothermal reaction under specific conditions to convert the zirconium hydroxide into crystalline hydrous zirconium oxide which has a monoclinic or cubic crystal form depending on the acidity or alkalinity of the aqueous medium employed in the hydrothermal treatment.