Intan Ayu Kusuma Pramushinta, Yasmin Nur Fadhilah, Adam Wiryawan, Rurini Retnowati, Hermin Sulistyarti
Mercury is illicitly incorporated into cosmetics despite its evidence of nephrotoxic and carcinogenic effects. In this study, an environmentally sustainable spectrophotometric method was developed for the determination of mercury in cosmetic samples using pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel extract (PPE) as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The synthesized PPE-AgNPs were characterized by UV–visible spectrophotometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and particle size analysis (PSA), confirming the formation of well-dispersed nanoparticles with an average diameter of 8.52 nm and a characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band at 413 nm. A linear calibration curve for Hg2+ was obtained over the range of 0.06 to 5 mg/L (R2 = 0.994), with a limit of detection and limit of quantification of 0.02 and 0.06 mg/L, respectively. The results show high accuracy, with acceptable recovery (88-96%) and precision (%RSD <5%), and were successfully validated using the Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA) method, with high trueness (>95%). The developed colorimetric sensor offers a simple, rapid, sensitive, and environmentally friendly alternative for quality control and safety monitoring of cosmetic products. © 2026 Elsevier B.V.
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Brawijaya University, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Pharmaceutical, Faculty of Health Science, Universitas PGRI Adi Buana Surabaya, 60234, Indonesia; Low Cost and Automated Method and Instrumentation Analysis (LCAMIA) Research Group, Brawijaya University, Malang, 65145, Indonesia
