Application of an in situ plated lead film electrode to the analysis of testosterone by adsorptive stripping voltammetry

Adsorptive stripping voltammetry is a very sensitive and selective method for determination of drugs and organic substances in biological fluids. We have shown that determination of testosterone by adsorptive stripping voltammetry is possible using a lead film electrode. The lead film plating process and accumulation of testosterone were performed simultaneously from an acetate buffer solution of pH = 5.2 at a potential of −1.1 V. The measurements were carried out in undeaerated solutions. The detection limit was 9 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹ for an accumulation time of 120 s; the relative standard deviation for 1 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ testosterone was 3.8%. The proposed voltammetric procedure for determination of testosterone could be applied to its determination in a pharmaceutical preparation and human urine samples directly without any separation steps.