Volatile sulphur compounds in wines related to yeast metabolism and nitrogen composition of grape musts

The influence of nitrogen compounds in grape musts on the content of sulphur compounds of wines was studied. Different vinifications were performed with the addition of methionine (20 mg l⁻¹) and/or cysteine (40 mg l⁻¹) to grape musts before alcoholic fermentation. Six grape musts, with different nitrogen composition, from cultivars of the ‘Vinhos Verdes’ Region, in Portugal, were used. Addition of methionine to grape musts enhanced the content of wines in 3-(methylthio)-1-propanol, acetic acid-3-(methylthio)propyl ester, 3-(methylthio)propionic acid and some unidentified sulphur compounds. Increase of cysteine concentration in musts led to the production of wines with high levels of hydrogen sulphide and cis-2-methyltetrahydro-thiophene-3-OL and also unidentified sulphur compounds; however, the content of 3-(methylthio)propionic acid in the wines decreased considerately with the addition of cysteine to grape musts. This work showed that cultivars from the Vinho Verde Region show different sulphur compound contents. Avesso wines, elaborated from grape musts with low amino acids level, presented the highest total sulphur compounds content. Wines from Azal branco and Alvarinho were characterised by high contents of 4-(methylthio)-1-butanol and 3-(methylthio)propionic acid, respectively. A high content of N-(3-(methylthio) propyl)-acetamide and dimethylsulphone characterise the Loureiro wines. In contrast, Trajadura wines, produced from a must rich in amino acids, presented a low total sulphur compounds content; however, these wines were also characterised by high concentrations of 4-(methylthio)-1-butanol, acetic acid-3-(methylthio)propyl ester and hydrogen sulphide.     

The antioxidant activity of wines determined by the ABTS(+) method: influence of sample dilution and time

The free radical scavenging activity of 42 Spanish commercial wines was determined using the 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation (ABTS⁺). The ABTS⁺ radical was generated enzymatically using a horseradish peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide. The presence of wine phenolic compounds caused the absorbance of the radical to decay at 414 nm. The measurement conditions were optimised. The total phenolic content of wines ranged from 1262 to 2389 mg l⁻¹ for red wines and 70 to 407 mg l⁻¹ for white wines, expressed as gallic acid equivalents. The phenolic content of Sherry wines was similar to that of white wines. Optimum dilutions for white and Sherry wines were set up as a function of their total phenolic content (for total phenol index, TPI<300 mg gallic acid per liter, dilution 2.5:10 to 5:10; for TPI>300 mg gallic acid per liter, dilution 1:10 to 3:10). Red wines absorb at the wavelength of measurement and dilutions between 0.35:10 and 0.1:10 are advisable. Reaction kinetics were also monitored and the antioxidant activity, expressed as Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC), was determined at 2 and 15 min of reaction. The mean values for TEAC_2 min were 5.01±1.40 mM for red wines, 0.46±0.32 mM for white wines and 0.26±0.19 mM for Sherry wines. At 15 min, mean values were 6.93±2.41 mM for red wines, 0.67±0.47 mM for white wines and 0.26±0.19 mM for Sherry wines. The correlation coefficients were better at 2 min (r=0.9012) than at 15 min (r=0.8462) when compared with TPI. Hence, TEAC_2 min seems to be a more appropriate measure.     

Determination of glutathione content in grape juice and wine by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A modified preparation of sample was developed for the determination of glutathione content in grape juice and wine by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection, using on-line pre-column derivatization. Ice-cold deoxygenated methanol was used to deactivate the oxidation enzymes in juices or wines and keep the glutathione stable. The optimum recovery of glutathione content in grape juice and wine was obtained when either the sample of grape juice or wine was mixed in ice-cold deoxygenated methanol in the ratio 10:90 (v:v) and further diluted in sodium acetate buffer in the ratio 1:1 (v:v). The optimized method was validated for linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, precision and uncertainty. According to the validation data the method is appropriate for the determination of glutathione content in grape juice and wine. Glutathione contents in grape juices made from White Muscat grapes and Sauvignon Blanc wines were analysed. The average glutathione content in 28 young Sauvignon Blanc wines was 12.5 mg L⁻¹.     

Catalytic activity of iron hexacyanoosmate(II) towards hydrogen peroxide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and its use in amperometric biosensors

Hydrogen peroxide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) may be determined amperometrically using screen-printed electrodes chemically modified with iron(III) hexacyanoosmate(II) (Osmium purple) in flow injection analysis (FIA). The determination is based on the exploitation of catalytic currents resulting from the oxidation/reduction of the modifier. The performance of the sensor was characterized and optimized by controlling several operational parameters (applied potential, pH and flow rate of the phosphate buffer). Comparison has been made with analogous complexes of ruthenium (Ruthenium purple) and iron (Prussian blue). Taking into account the sensitivity and stability of corresponding sensors, the best results were obtained with the use of Osmium purple. The sensor exhibited a linear increase of the amperometric signal with the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the range of 0.1-100 mg L⁻¹ with a detection limit (evaluated as 3σ) of 0.024 mg L⁻¹ with a R.S.D. 1.5% for 10 mg L⁻¹ H₂O₂ under optimized flow rate of 0.4 mL min⁻¹ in 0.1 M phosphate buffer carrier (pH 6) and a working potential of +0.15 V versus Ag/AgCl. Afterwards, a biological recognition element - either glucose oxidase or ethanol dehydrogenase - was incorporated to achieve a sensor facilitating the determination of glucose or ethanol, respectively. The glucose sensor gave linearity between current and concentration in the range from 1 to 250 mg L⁻¹ with a R.S.D. 2.4% for 100 mg L⁻¹ glucose, detection limit 0.02 mg L⁻¹ (3σ) and retained its original activity after 3 weeks when stored at 6 °C. Optimal parameters in the determination of ethanol were selected as: applied potential +0.45 V versus Ag/AgCl, flow rate 0.2 mL min⁻¹ in 0.1 M phosphate buffer carrier (pH 7). Different structural designs of the ethanol sensor were tested and linearity obtained was up to 1000 mg L⁻¹ with a maximum R.S.D. of 5.1%. Applications in food analysis were also examined.     

A highly selective mercury electrode based on a diamine donor ligand

(H₂NCHMeCH₂NH₂)(H₂O)₂HgCl₂ (I) was synthesised, characterised and used for the fabrication of a potentiometric sensor for Hg²⁺ metal ions. Membrane having I as electroactive material, sodium tetraphenyl borate (NaTPB) as an anion excluder, dibutylamine (DBA) as plasticizer in PVC matrix in the percentage ratio of 10:3:150:150 (I:NaTPB:DBA:PVC) (w/w) exhibits a linear response to Hg²⁺ ions in a concentration range of 1.25 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.0 × 10⁻¹ M having a detection limit of 8.9 × 10⁻⁶ with a slope of 25 ± 0.1 mV over the pH range 6.6-9.3. Selectivity coefficients for Hg(II) relative to a number of interfering ions were investigated. The electrode is highly selective for Hg²⁺ ions over a large number of mono-, bi-, and trivalent cations. Normal interferents like Ag⁺ and Cd²⁺ do not interfere in the working of the electrode. The electrode has also been used successfully in mixtures having a 10% (v/v) methanol and acetone content without showing any considerable change in working concentration range or slope. These electrodes have been found to be chemically inert showing a fast response time of 10 s and were used over a period of 4 months with good reproducibility (s = ±0.2). The electrode was used for determination of mercury in binary mixtures with 100% recovery and thus the proposed sensor can be used for real sample analysis.     

Single strand hollow fiber membrane (SSHFM): an on-line sample preparation for the flow based colorimetric determination of free iron in fruit juices

A single strand hollow fiber membrane (SSHFM) was developed for the on-line sample preparation for the flow based colorimetric determination of free iron levels in fruit juices. The SSHFM, as used, could separate Fe²⁺ from some spectrophotometric interfering agents in the fruit juice, such as pigments, solid suspensions and polysaccharides. The screening process was likely to have been primarily based on dialysis, wherein only ions or molecules that are smaller than the pores of the membrane can diffuse through while relatively larger molecules or particles could not. Two flow modes, a continuous and stopped flow, were studied. Factors that influenced the sensitivity (%dialysis) of the method, such as the flow rate, sample volume, flow direction and stopped flow time, were optimized. The stopped flow mode was found to be relatively more sensitive than the continuous flow mode and displayed a linear range of 1-30 mg L⁻¹ Fe²⁺, a limit of detection of 0.5 mg L⁻¹, and a % relative standard deviation of less than 2% (n = 8) for the analysis of 10 mg L⁻¹ Fe²⁺ spiked grape juice samples. A sample throughput of 24 samples h⁻¹, was attained without any further sample treatment.     

Micelle mediated methodology for the determination of free and bound iron in wines by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A methodology utilizing the cloud point phenomenon for the determination of free and tannin-bound iron in wines is presented. The method employs precipitation of the tannins and other phenolic and insoluble compounds in the micelles of a non-ionic surfactant mixture (TX-100 and TX-45) upon increase of the solution temperature, which are subsequently separated from the initial solution by centrifugation. The surfactant-rich-phase containing the tannins and the insoluble iron fraction is directly aspirated into the nebulizer of a flame atomic absorption spectrometer after its uptake with a methanolic solution of HNO₃. The supernatant is submitted to the same cloud point extraction procedure for the determination of free iron species in the presence of a chelating agent, ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC), in order to form water-insoluble complexes with free iron. The complexes are extracted in the micelles and directly analyzed after they are diluted in a methanolic solution as described above. The total content of iron was also determined by conventional methods for comparison, yielding satisfactory results.The calibration graph was rectilinear up to 0.35 mg l⁻¹ Fe, with detection limits of 0.02 mg l⁻¹ with a relative standard deviation of 2.4%. The method was successfully applied to red and white wines.     

Determination of selenium using atomically imprinted polymer (AIP) and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

This paper describes selenium determination based on Se⁰ preconcentration in the imprinted polymer (synthesized with 2.25 mmol SeO₂, 4-vinylpyridine and 1-vinylimidazole) with subsequent detection on-line in HG-FAAS. During the synthesis, SeO₂ is reduced to Se (0). Therefore, there are no MIP neither IIP in the present work, thus we denominated: AIP, i.e., atomically imprinted polymers. For the optimization of analytical parameters Doehlert design was used. The method presented limit of detection and limit of quantification of 53 and 177 ng L⁻¹, respectively, and linear range from 0.17 up to 6 μg L⁻¹ (r = 0.9936). The preconcentration factor (PF), consumptive index (CI) and concentration efficiency (CE) were 232; 0.06 mL and 58 min⁻¹ respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to determine Se in Brazil nuts (0.33 ± 0.03 mg kg⁻¹), apricot (0.46 ± 0.02 mg kg⁻¹), white bean (0.47 ± 0.03 mg kg⁻¹), rice flour (0.47 ± 0.02 mg kg⁻¹) and milk powder (0.22 ± 0.01 mg kg⁻¹) samples. It was possible to do 12 analyzes per hour. Accuracy was checked and confirmed by analyzing certified reference material (DORM-2, dogfish muscle), and samples precision was satisfactory with RSD lower than 10%.     

Reversed flow injection spectrophotometric determination of chlorate

An interfacing has been developed to connect a spectrophotometer with a personal computer and used as a readout system for development of a simple, rapid and sensitive reversed flow injection (rFI) procedure for chlorate determination. The method is based on the oxidation of indigo carmine by chlorate ions in an acidic solution (dil. HCl) leading to the decrease in absorbance at 610 nm. The decrease in absorbance is directly related to the chlorate concentration present in the sample solutions. Optimum conditions for chlorate were examined. A linear calibration graph over the range of 0.1-0.5 mg L⁻¹ chlorate was established with the regression equation of Y = 104.5X + 1.0, r² = 0.9961 (n = 6). The detection limit (3σ) of 0.03 mg L⁻¹, the limit of quantitation (10σ) of 0.10 mg L⁻¹ and the RSD of 3.2% for 0.3 mg L⁻¹ chlorate (n = 11) together with a sample throughput of 92 h⁻¹ were obtained. The recovery of the added chlorate in spiked water samples was 98.5 ± 3.1%. Major interferences for chlorate determination were found to be BrO₃⁻, ClO₂⁻, ClO⁻ and IO₃⁻ which were overcome by using SO₃²⁻ (as Na₂SO₃) as masking agent. The method has been successfully applied for the determination of chlorate in spiked water samples with the minimum reagent consumption of 14.0 mL h⁻¹. Good agreement between the proposed rFIA and the reference methods was found verified by Student's t-test at 95% confidence level.     

Direct determination of glyphosate using hydrophilic interaction chromatography with coulometric detection at copper microelectrode

A simple, rapid, and low-cost coulometric method for direct detection of glyphosate using hydrophilic interaction chromatography is presented. The principle of detection is based on the enhancement of the anodic current of copper microelectrode in the presence of complexing agents, such as glyphosate, with the formation of a soluble Cu(II) complex. Under optimized conditions, the limit of detection (S/R = 3) for glyphosate was 0.1 mg L⁻¹ (0.59 μM) without any preconcentration method. The calibration curve has been found linear in all concentration range tested (from limit of detection to 34 mg L⁻¹) with an excellent correlation coefficient (0.9999). The present method was successfully applied for the determination of glyphosate in fruit juices without any kind of extraction, clean-up, or preconcentration step, with recoveries of 92 and 90% for apple and grape juice, respectively.     

Feasibility of high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry in flame and furnace for sulphur determination in petroleum products

For the first time, high-resolution molecular absorption spectrometry with a high-intensity xenon lamp as radiation source has been applied for the determination of sulphur in crude oil and petroleum products. The samples were analysed as xylene solutions using vaporisation in acetylene-air flame or in an electrothermally heated graphite furnace. The sensitive rotational lines of the CS molecule, belonging to the ?ν = 0 vibrational sequence within the electronic transition X¹∑⁺ → A¹П, were applied. For graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry, the Pd + Mg organic modifier was selected. Strong interactions with Pd atoms enable easier decomposition of sulphur-containing compounds, likely through the temporal formation of Pd_xS_y molecules. At the 258.056 nm line, with the wavelength range covering central pixel ± 5 pixels and with application of interactive background correction, the detection limit was 14 ng in graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry and 18 mg kg⁻¹ in flame molecular absorption spectrometry. Meanwhile, application of 2-points background correction found a characteristic mass of 12 ng in graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry and a characteristic concentration of 104 mg kg⁻¹ in flame molecular absorption spectrometry.The range of application of the proposed methods turned out to be significantly limited by the properties of the sulphur compounds of interest. In the case of volatile sulphur compounds, which can be present in light petroleum products, severe difficulties were encountered. On the contrary, heavy oils and residues from distillation as well as crude oil could be analysed using both flame and graphite furnace vaporisation. The good accuracy of the proposed methods for these samples was confirmed by their mutual consistency and the results from analysis of reference samples (certified reference materials and home reference materials with sulphur content determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry).     

A quick method for the simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid and sorbic acid in fruit juices by capillary zone electrophoresis

A method of quickly determining ascorbic acid and sorbic acid by capillary zone electrophoresis with ultraviolet detection was developed. The choice of background electrolyte, wavelength, injection time and applied voltage were discussed. Ascorbic acid and sorbic acid were well separated in 80 mmol L⁻¹ boric acid-5 mmol L⁻¹borax (pH = 8.0) in 5 min at the detecting wavelength of 270 nm. Under the optimum condition, the method has linear ranges of 2.54-352.00 mg L⁻¹ for ascorbic acid and 1.08-336.39 mg L⁻¹ for sorbic acid with the detection limit of 1.70 mg L⁻¹ for ascorbic acid and 0.54 mg L⁻¹ for sorbic acid, respectively. Other organic acids in fruit juices have no effect on the detection. This method is very feasible and simple and can be used to detect ascorbic acid and sorbic acid in fruit juices.     

Determination of picloram in natural waters employing sequential injection square wave voltammetry using the hanging mercury drop electrode

This paper describes the development of a sequential injection analysis method to automate the determination of picloram by square wave voltammetry exploiting the concept of monosegmented flow analysis to perform in-line sample conditioning and standard addition. To perform these tasks, an 800 μL monosegment is formed, composed by 400 μL of sample and 400 μL of conditioning/standard solution, in medium of 0.10 mol L⁻¹ H₂SO₄. Homogenization of the monosegment is achieved by three flow reversals. After homogenization the mixture zone is injected toward the flow cell, which is adapted to the capillary of a hanging drop mercury electrode, at a flow rate of 50 μL s⁻¹. After a suitable delay time, the potential is scanned from −0.5 to −1.0 V versus Ag/AgCl at frequency of 300 Hz and pulse height of 25 mV. The linear dynamic range is observed for picloram concentrations between 0.10 and 2.50 mg L⁻¹ fitting to the linear equation I_p = (−2.19 ± 0.03)C_picloram + (0.096 ± 0.039), with R² = 0.9996, for which the slope is given in μA L mg⁻¹. The detection and quantification limits are 0.036 and 0.12 mg L⁻¹, respectively. The sampling frequency is 37 h⁻¹ when the standard addition protocol is followed, but can be increased to 41 h⁻¹ if the protocol to obtain in-line external calibration curve is used for quantification. The method was applied for determination of picloram in spiked water samples and the accuracy was evaluated by comparison with high performance liquid chromatography using molecular absorption at 220 nm for detection. No evidences of statistically significant differences between the two methods were observed.     

A SO2-selective electrode based on a Zn-porphyrin for wine analysis

This work describes the assessment of a SO₂-selective electrode based on the use of the neutral carrier 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl(porphyrinate)zinc(II) in a PVC membrane plasticized with 2-nitrophenyl phenyl ether. After being conditioned in 2 mol L⁻¹ diethylamine solution for 24 h, the electrode exhibited selective anionic response toward the analyte in a concentration interval of more than four decades, with an slope of −59.5 mV dec⁻¹, a practical detection limit of 3.7 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹ and a low limit of linear range of 7.2 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹. The response mechanism is based on the displacement of the diethylamine:metalloporphyrin complex equilibrium within membrane bulk, inducing a variation in the cationic-sites to ionophore ratio. In turn, free hydroxyl ions are complexed by the displaced ionophore in a ratio 1:1 and translated as single negative charge nernstian response. Finally, the selectivity of the electrode is evaluated in view of its application to wine analysis. Results had high accuracy and precision when compared with a reference method.     

Hybrid sequential injection-flow injection manifold for the spectrophotometric determination of total sulfite in wines using o-phthalaldehyde and gas-diffusion

A new automated spectrophotometric method for the determination of total sulfite in white and red wines is reported. The assay is based on the reaction of o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) and ammonium chloride with the analyte in basic medium under SI conditions. Upon on-line alkalization with NaOH, a blue product is formed having an absorption maximum at 630 nm. The parameters affecting the reaction - temperature, pH, ionic strength, amount concentration and volume of OPA, amount concentration of ammonium chloride, flow rate and reaction coil length - and the gas-diffusion process - sample and HCl volumes, length of mixing coil, donor flow rate - were studied. The proposed method was validated in terms of linearity (1-40 mg L⁻¹, r = 0.9997), limit of detection (c_L = 0.3 mg L⁻¹) and quantitation (c_Q = 1.0 mg L⁻¹), precision (s_r = 2.2% at 20 mg L⁻¹ sulfite, n = 12) and selectivity. The applicability of the analytical procedure was evaluated by analyzing white and red wine samples, while the accuracy as expressed by recovery experiments ranged between 96% and 106%.     

A green analytical procedure for flow-injection determination of nitrate in natural waters

Nitrate determination in waters is generally carried out with cadmium filings and carcinogenic reagents or by reaction with phenolic compounds in highly concentrated sulfuric acid medium. In this work, it was developed a green analytical procedure for nitrate determination in natural waters based on direct spectrophotometric measurements in ultraviolet, using a flow-injection system with an anion-exchange column for separation of nitrate from interfering species. The proposed method employs only one reagent (HClO₄) in a minimum amount (equivalent to 18 μL concentrated acid per determination), and allowed nitrate determination within 0.50-25.0 mg L⁻¹, without interference of up to 200.0 mg L⁻¹ humic acid; 1.0 mg L⁻¹ NO₂⁻; 200.0 mg L⁻¹ PO₄³⁻; 75.0 mg L⁻¹ Cl⁻; 50.0 mg L⁻¹ SO₄²⁻ and 15.0 mg L⁻¹ Fe³⁺. The detection limit (99.7% confidence level) and the coefficient of variation (n = 20) were estimated as 0.1 mg L⁻¹ and 0.7%, respectively. The results obtained for natural water samples were in agreement with those achieved by the reference method based on nitrate reduction with copperized cadmium at the 95% confidence level.     

A novel uranyl membrane sensor with potentiometric anionic response

A novel potentiometric uranyl membrane sensor with a divalent anionic response is developed, characterized and used for determination of uranyl ion. The sensor incorporates triethylenetetramine (TETA) as an ionophore in poly(vinyl chloride) matrix membrane (PVC) plasticized with o-nitrophenyloctyl ether (o-NPOE). In strong sulphate test solutions, UO₂²⁺ ion forms a highly stable [UO₂(SO₄)₂]²⁻ anion, extractable in TETA as {(2TETAH)²⁺ [UO₂(SO₄)₂]²⁻} complex. Formation of the complex is confirmed and characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry and infrared spectrometry. Sensor based on this system displays at pH 2.5-3.8 a linear response over the concentration range of 1.0 × 10⁻¹-3.5 × 10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹ uranium with a near-Nernstian calibration slope of −26.5 ± 0.3 mV decade⁻¹. The lower limit of detection is ∼5 μg ml⁻¹, the lifetime is 12 weeks and negligible interferences are caused by most common cations. Validation of the assay method reveals excellent performance characteristics in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, fast response and potential stability. The sensor is used for the determination of 0.01-7.09 wt% uranium in naturally occurring and certified ore samples. The results show an average recovery of 97.6% and compare fairly well with data obtained using X-ray fluorescence technique.     

Determination of available phosphorus in soils by using a new extraction procedure and a flow injection amperometric system

A new extraction procedure based on an off-line extraction column was proposed for extracting of available phosphorus from soils. The column was fabricated from a plastic syringe fitted at the bottom with a cotton wool and a piece of filter paper to support a soil sample. An aliquot (50 mL) of extracting solution (0.05 M HCl + 0.0125 M H₂SO₄) was used to extract the sample under gravity flow and the eluate was collected in a polyethylene bottle. The extract was then analyzed for phosphorus contents by a simple flow injection amperometric system, employing a set of three-way solenoid valves as an injection valve. The method is based on the electrochemical reduction of 12-molybdophosphate which is produced on-line by the reaction of orthophosphate with acidic molybdate and the electrical current produced was directly proportional to the concentration of phosphate in range of 0.1-10.0 mg L⁻¹ PO₄-P, with a detection limit of 0.02 mg L⁻¹. Relative standard for 11 replicate injections of 5 mg L⁻¹ PO₄-P was 0.5%. A sample through put of 35 h⁻¹ was achieved, with consumption of 14 mg KCl, 10 mg ammonium molybdate and 0.05 mL H₂SO₄ per analysis. The detection system does not suffer from the interferences that are encountered in the photometric method such as colored substances, colloids, metal ions, silicate and refractive index effect (Schlieren effect). The results obtained by the column extraction procedure were well correlated with those obtained by the steady-state extraction procedure, but showed slightly higher extraction efficiency.     

A cobalt(II)-selective PVC membrane based on a Schiff base complex of N,N′-bis(salicylidene)-3,4-diaminotoluene

A new PVC membrane electrode for Co²⁺ based on N,N′-bis(salicylidene)-3,4-diaminotoluene, an excellent neutral carrier, has been fabricated using sodium tetraphenylborate (NaTPB) as an anionic excluder and dioctylphthalte (DOP) as a solvent mediator. The electrode exhibits a linear potential response in the concentration range of 7.9 × 10⁻⁸ to 1.0 × 10⁻¹ M with a slope of 30 ± 0.2 mV per decade. The detection limit of the proposed sensor is 5.0 × 10⁻⁸ M and it can be used over a period of 5 months. The proposed sensor revealed good selectivity over a wide variety of other cations including alkali, alkaline earth, heavy and transition metals and could be used in the pH range of 2.0-9.0. This electrode was successfully applied for the determination of Co²⁺in real samples and as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of cobalt ions.     

A simple miniaturised photometrical method for rapid determination of nitrate and nitrite in freshwater

A rapid, simple miniaturised photometrical method was developed for the determination of nitrate and/or nitrite in freshwater samples. All procedures, including sample buffering, reduction by copperised cadmium granules, colour development and absorbance determination, were completed in a 96-well microplate. The factors governing the nitrate reduction and its recovery were investigated in detail, and the optimised analysing conditions were established. Nitrate was quantitatively reduced by copperised cadmium granules with a high reduction efficiency (96.59 ± 0.96%). The proposed method gave a linear calibration ranging from 0.01 to 1.50 mg L⁻¹ for NO₂⁻-N and 0.02 to 1.50 mg L⁻¹ for NO₃⁻-N. The detection limits for nitrite and nitrate were 2 and 4 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The proposed method allowed at least 48 samples to be simultaneously analysed in duplicate, with good precision, within 90 min for nitrate and 30 min for nitrite, and was successfully applied to actual freshwater sample analysis with a recovery of 98.02 ± 1.04% for nitrite and 99.72 ± 1.39% for nitrate. This method produced accurate results comparable to standard methods, provided a much higher sample throughput than conventional methods and could be routinely used in actual freshwater sample monitoring.