Development of a selective sorbent based on a magnetic ion imprinted polymer for the preconcentration and FAAS determination of urinary cadmium

Abstract

In this study, an ion imprinted polymer (IIP), based on coating of a polymer on a Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle (NP) core, is used as a magnetic sorbent for the preconcentration and determination of the Cd(II) ion level in human urine samples. The synthesized polymer was characterized by IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and thermal analysis (TG/DTA). The optimum conditions, such as pH of the sample, eluent volume, concentration and duration of sorption and elution, were investigated. In addition, the effect of some potentially interfering cations on the sorption of Cd(II) was confirmed. In all samples, Cd(II) was determined using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Under optimal conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) of cadmium was 0.6 μg L⁻¹. The optimized method has been validated using day-to-day and within-day reproducible experiments and achieved appropriate accuracy and precision. The accuracy of the method was confirmed by analyzing a certified reference material (Seronorm LOT NO2525) and spiked real samples. Ultimately, this method was applied successfully for the preconcentration and determination of Cd(II) ions in urine samples obtained from exposed individuals.