The extraction of trace amounts of Pb(II) and Cd(II) using dispersed ZnO nanopowders functionalized by chelating reagent 4,4'-[(4-Fluorophenyl)methylene]bis(3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-ol) (FMBM) as a novel sorbent has been reported. The impact of pH, adsorbent concentration, non-ionic surfactant, eluting solution, incubation time, equilibration temperature, sample volume and interfering ions on analytical performances was elucidated and investigated. Under optimal experimental conditions, the limit of detections (LOD) were found to be 0.15 and 0.21 mu g L-1 for Pb(II) and Cd(II), respectively. The developed method, validated with certified reference materials (CRM), was successfully used in determining the concentrations of the two metal ions in various water samples. (C) 2015 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.