A novel nanocomposite with a BET surface area of 212.9 m(2)/g was synthesized from chitosan and Fe3O4/ZrO2 using an inexpensive protocol at mild condition. The Fe3O4/ZrO2/chitosan composite has the ability to adsorb both nitrate and phosphate. The maximum adsorption amount of nitrate and phosphate is 89.3 mg/g and 26.5 mg P/g, respectively. The adsorption process fits well to the pseudo-first-order kinetic rate model, and the mechanism involves simultaneous adsorption and intra-particle diffusion. The experimental results suggest that the composite is a promising adsorbent for treating water that is contaminated with nutrients. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.