Feasibility of cross-flow micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration was investigated to remove chromate and nitrate from water system using a cationic surfactant, cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC). Removal of chromate with -2 as valence was higher than that of nitrate with -1 as valence in the conditions of co-existence of chromate and nitrate. Removal of nitrate was significantly inhibited by co-existence of chromate because of competitive binding to CPC micelles between chromate and nitrate, while that of chromate was only slightly inhibited by nitrate. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.