Chemical modification of magnetic submicroparticles (MSPs) with functional polymers using controlled/living radical polymerization method has recently gained a great deal of attentions because of the potential applications to water treatment. In this work, we demonstrated an efficient method for poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (pGMA) modification of MSPs, by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization method, and then, the particles were actually modified by triethylenetetramine through epoxy groups of pGMA to form polyamine/MSPs. The material was characterized using infrared spectroscopy, thermo gravimetric analyzer, transmission electron microscopic, gel permeation chromatography, and vibrating sample magnetometer. Sorption of Cd(II) to polyamine/MSPs reached equilibrium in similar to 100 min and agreed well to the Freundlich isotherm equation with maximum adsorption capacity of 71.3 mg g(-1) for the 500 mg L-1 Cd(II) aqueous solution at neutral pH. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.