Nickel(II) and lead(II) ionic imprinted 8-hydroxyquinoline polymers were synthesized by a precipitation polymerization technique and were used as selective solid phase extraction supports for the determination of nickel and lead in seawater by flow injection solid phase extraction on-line inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. An optimum loading flow rate of 2.25 mL min(-1) for 2 min and an elution flow rate of 2.25 mL min(-1) for 1 min gave an enrichment factor of 15 for nickel. However, a low dynamic capacity and/or rate for adsorption and desorption was found for lead ionic imprinted polymer and a flow rate of 3.00 mL min(-1) for 4-min loading and a flow rate of 2.25 mL min(-1) for 1-min elution gave a enrichment factor of 5. The limit of detection was 0.33 microg L(-1) for nickel and 1.88 microg L(-1) for lead, with a precision (n = 11) of 8% (2.37 microg Ni L(-1)) for nickel and 11% (8.38 microg Pb L(-1)) for lead. Accuracy was also assessed by analyzing SLEW-3 (estuarine water) and TM-24 (lake water) certified reference materials, and the values determined were in good agreement with the certified concentrations.