The performance of phosphate removal by magnetic iron/zirconium-modified zeolite (FeZrZeo) using batch experiments and the efficiency of sediment capping with FeZrZeo to control phosphorus (P) release from river sediments were tested using incubation experiments. The results showed that the as-prepared FeZrZeo exhibited a high phosphate adsorption capacity. P in river sediments could be released into the overlying water under natural and anoxic conditions. However, sediment capping with FeZrZeo can greatly reduce the releasing flux of SRP from the sediment to the overlying water, resulting in a very low level of SRP in the overlying water (0.007-0.031 mg/L). When FeZrZeo-based barrier layer was destroyed, the mixing of FeZrZeo with sediment not only led to the reduction of SRP concentration in the overlying water, but also resulted in the transformation of the mobile P (sum of the NH₄Cl extractable P (NH₄Cl-P) and Na₂S₂O₄/NaHCO₃ extractable P (BD-P)) to the more stable phosphorus such as the NaOH extractable P (NaOH-rP) and residual P (Res-P). Furthermore, the mixing of FeZrZeo with sediment led to the transformation of bioavailable P including anion resin extractable P (Resin-P), water soluble P (WSP), readily desorbable P (RDP), NaOH extractable P (AAP) and NaHCO₃ extractable P (Olsen-P) to the non-bioavailable P in the sediment, resulting in the decrease in the P bioavaiability of the sedidment. Results of this study show that FeZrZeo is a promising capping material for the control of SRP release from river sediments.