A fungal functionalized magnetized solid phase extractor for preconcentrations of Pb(II), Mn(II), and Co(II) from real samples.

Due to increasing industrialization and overpopulation, the amount of toxic metals is increasing in the environment, including air, soil, water, and food. Solid phase extraction is an efficient and ideal technique to preconcentrate the toxic metals before their measurements by analytical instruments. Russula brevipes was immobilized on γ-FeO magnetic nanoparticles and employed as a SPE sorbent to preconcentrate the trace level of Pb(II), Mn(II), and Co(II). To investigate the extraction conditions, significant experimental parameters were examined in details. LODs were calculated as 0.022, 0.015, and 0.024 ng mL for Pb(II), Mn(II), and Co(II), respectively. The biosorption capacities of R. brevipes immobilized γ-FeO were calculated as 43.1 mg g for Pb(II), 54.9 mg g for Mn(II), and 49.7 mg g for Co(II). Pb(II), Mn(II), and Co(II) in food samples at trace levels were preconcentrated by applying the developed method.