First usage of ostracod species (Herpetocypris brevicaudata) carapace as a biosorbent with XAD-4 resin to determine Co(II), Cu(II) and Mn(II) trace metal ions

•Precise and accurate determinations of trace amount of the heavy metals are a serious problem in waters.•Different filtering mechanisms and/or powder biosorbents are used to eliminate this problem.•Powdered ostracod species carapace is used as a biosorbent for the first time.•Cu(II), Co(II) and Mn(II) ions are successfully separated by powdered carapace.•This is an inexpensive biosorption process to remove toxic ions from the waters. Powdered ostracod carapace of the species (Herpetocypris brevicaudata), an invertebrate aquatic crustacean, loaded on Amberlite XAD-4 resin, were tested as a biosorbent to determine concentrations of trace metal ions (Cu(II), Co(II), Mn(II)) in water samples prior to UV–VIS spectrophotometric analyses. Effects of sample pH, volume, type and volume of eluent, matrix interference, and flow rate of sample and eluent were examined to investigate optimum biosorption conditions of the trace metal ions.Optimum pH values for Cu(II), Co(II) and Mn(II) were around 10.0. Metals were desorbed with 1 M HCl (recovery, 90–100% and high precision; SD