The use of chemically modified silica gel N-(1-carboxy-6-hydroxy) benzylidenepropylamine (SiG-CHBPA), ion exchanger for removal and preconcentration of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in natural water samples collected from River Nile, Mediterranean Sea and other locations followed by their consecutive AAS determination was described. The effects on the percentage of recovered metal ions including mass change of ion exchanger, stirring time, pH of sample solutions and eluent concentration were studied. The distribution coefficient K-d. ml g(-1) and the percentage concentration of the studied metal ions on the ion exchanger at equilibrium, C-M,C-eqm ,% (Recovery, %) were studied as a function of experimental parameters. The logarithmic values of the distribution coefficients. log K-d are 3-6.3. The interfering effects of some foreign ions on the removal. preconcentration and determination of the investigated metal ions were described. The metal-chelates formed between the ion exchanger and the studied metal ions were characterized by IR (absorption and reflectance), UV spectrometry, potentiometric titration and thermal analysis (TG and DTG). The reliability of the present method was confirmed by the comparison with a standard solvent extraction method. The present method is simple and rapidly applicable for the determination of the studied metal ions, ng ml(-1) in different natural water samples. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.