Voltammetric methods for the determination of heavy metals in domestic waste and compost produced from it

Methods of sampling an preparation of waste and compost samples for analysis are described. A voltammetric method has been used for the determination of the contents of toxic heavy metals (one of the most important criterion for compost quality evaluation) in domestic waste and in compost produced from it. A novel method was proposed for the UV mineralisation of water extracts obtained during leaching of waste and compost samples. Copper, lead, zinc and cadmium were determined in wet-digested samples of domestic waste, compost and its extracts by anodic stripping voltammetry. Nickel and cobalt were determined by adsorption voltammetry. The determination of five metals in one sample over a wide range of concentrations and the low cost of the apparatus used are the main advantages of the analytical method described. This has been shown by the determination of the metals in fractions of domestic waste, in compost produced of that waste and in compost mixed with sewage sludge. Special attention has been paid to investigations of the mobilisation of metals from waste and compost during the leaching test.     

Preparation of a gold electrode modified with tri-n-octylphosphine oxide and its application to determination of mercury in the environment

A gold film electrode modified with a film of tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) in a PVC matrix has been prepared and tested. Cyclic voltammetric experiments have shown that the electrode is useful for highly selective voltammetric determinations of a number of metals, primarily Hg, Cr, Fe, Bi, Sb, U and Pb. The electrode has been applied to the anodic stripping voltammetric determination of mercury in some environmental samples, such as river sediments. Concentrations of 0.02-50 ppm of mercury can be determined with good precision and accuracy, as demonstrated by analyses of reference materials. A selective decomposition of the samples at laboratory temperature decreases the danger of sample contamination and of volatilization of mercury.     

Simultaneous Determination of Seven Toxic Trace and/or Ultratrace Metals in Environmental Plants by Differential Pulse Voltammetry Without Change of Solution and Electrode

Abstract

A simple and reliable procedure simultaneously to determine seven trace and/or ultratrace toxic metals in a single sample of environmental plants has been presented. The procedure is based on the simultaneous determination of Cu, Pb and Cd by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry, of Zn and Mn by differential pulse voltammetry and of Ni and Co by differential pulse adsorption voltammetry at the hanging mercury drop electrode. The details of sampling, washing and drying of samples and the approach of digestion and preparation of samples for voltammetric determination have been investigated. The method has been applied to determination of the seven metals in grass and hucerne from different environments.     

In situ voltammetric measurement of trace elements in lakes and oceans

A submersible probe with a flow-through cell allowing in situ voltammetric measurements by means of either a mercury film or a mercury drop electrode has been developed. The various possibilities of voltammetric measurements in the presence of dissolved oxygen have been reviewed and tested. Optimum conditions for the determination of trace metals in oxygenated waters have been found. In situ determinations of Mn(II) in anoxic lake water and of trace metals (Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Zn²⁺) in oxygen-saturated sea water are reported.     

Differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetric determination of ziram (a dithiocarbamate fungicide)

A d.c. polarographic technique has been used previously for the determination of the pesticide, ziram, in aqueous samples, this paper reports differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetric determination of ziram zinc in rice samples using a static mercury drop electrode. The procedure developed distinguishes inorganic zinc and ziram zinc in sodium acetate-sodium chloride media. The procedure developed is suitable for the determination of concentrations as low as 10 ppb of ziram with a precision of 2.1% for five successive determinations of 150 ppb of ziram.     

Polarographic and Voltammetric Assays of Sulfonamides as α‐Oxo‐γ‐Butyrolactone Arylhydrazones

Abstract

2‐Acetylbutyrolactone was characterized as a novel reagent of analytical potential in polarographic and voltammetric analyses. It forms α‐oxo‐γ‐butyrolactone arylhydrazones through Japp‐Klingemann coupling reaction with primary arylamines. α‐Oxo‐γ‐butyrolactone arylhydrazones possess an electro‐active site (azomethine center) that displays a cathodic activity at the mercury electrode. The protonated azomethine center of α‐oxo‐γ‐butyrolactone arylhydrazones is reduced by 2e/2H⁺ reaction to the hydrazo form. The differential pulse polarographic behavior of α‐oxo‐γ‐butyrolactone arylhydrazones was investigated in aqueous media ranging from pH 2 to 10.5. In aqueous acidic solution, α‐oxo‐γ‐butyrolactone arylhydrazones were shown to adsorb on a hanging mercury drop electrode and to be amenable to determination by adsorptive stripping voltammetry. Procedures for applying the polarographic and voltammetric methods to determination of sulfadiazine and sulfamethoxazole in pharmaceutical preparations have been developed. An analogous study on sulfas‐azo derivatives of ethyl acetoacetate was also considered. Furthermore, the differential pulse voltammetric method was adopted for determination of sulfamethoxazole in spiked plasma and urine samples. The recoveries turned out to be satisfactory, showing relative standard deviations from 2.4 to 4.6%.     

Mercury speciation in environmental solid samples using thermal release technique with atomic absorption detection

A sensitive and very simple method for determination of mercury species in solid samples has been developed involving thermal release analysis in combination with atomic absorption (AAS) detection. The method allows determination of mercury(II) chloride, methylmercury and mercury sulfide at the level of 0.70, 0.35 and 0.20 ng with a reproducibility of the results of 14, 25 and 18%, respectively. The accuracy of the developed assay has been estimated using certified reference materials and by comparison of the results with those of an independent method. The method has been applied for Hg species determination in original samples of lake sediments and plankton.     

Characterization and Use of Copper Solid Amalgam Electrode for Electroanalytical Determination of Triazines‐Based Herbicides

This paper reports the construction, characterization and use of copper solid amalgam electrode in the study of the electrochemical behavior of atrazine and ametryne herbicides by square‐wave voltammetry. This study was used as basis for the development of sensitive analytical methods for the determination of these herbicides in natural water, avoiding the use of mercury, by means of a solid electrode that presents high sensitivity and minimizes any environment contamination with mercury residues. The experimental and voltammetric conditions were evaluated and the results showed a reduction peak for atrazine at ?0.98 and at ?1.1 V vs. Ag/AgCl 3.0 mol L^?1 for ametryne, both with characteristic of an irreversible electrode reaction in an electrochemical diffusion controlled process, involving two electrons for each herbicide reduction. Based on voltammetric studies, it has been demonstrated that the most possible mechanism for the reduction of herbicides involved reduction of bond carbon‐chloride for atrazine and the reduction of bond carbon–SCH₃ for ametryne. The detection limit of herbicides obtained in pure water (laboratory samples) was shown to be lower than the maximum limit of residue established for natural water by the Brazilian Environmental Agency, demonstrating that this methodology is very suitable for determining any contamination by atrazine and ametryne residues in different samples, proving a good substitute for mercury electrodes.     

Ultra trace adsorptive stripping voltammetric determination of atrazine in soil and water using mercury film electrode

In situ mercury film electrode produced in the presence of thiocyanate has been shown extremely useful for highly sensitive adsorptive stripping voltammetric measurements of atrazine down to sub-μg L⁻¹ level. Operational parameters have been optimized and the stripping voltammetric performance has been investigated using square wave scans. The adsorptive stripping response is linear over the range of 0.5-60 μg L⁻¹ atrazine, with a detection limit of 0.024 μg L⁻¹. The method has been applied to the determination of atrazine in soil and water samples.     

An Electrochemical Sensor for Determination of Ultratrace Cd,Cu and Hg in Water Samples by Modified Carbon Paste Electrode Base on a New Schiff Base Ligand

This paper describes the preparation and electrochemical application of a new chemically modified electrode for simple and highly sensitive simultaneous determination of copper, mercury and cadmium using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Firstly, a new bis‐Schiff base ligand, 2,2′‐((pyridine‐2,6‐diylbis (azanylylidene)) bis (methanylylidene))bis(4‐bromophenol) (ligand L ) has been synthesized by reaction of the 2,6‐diamino pyridine with 5‐bromo salicylaldehyde or salicylaldehyde at ethanol under refluxing. The structure of the synthesized compound resulted from the IR, ¹HNMR, MS, UV spectroscopy and elemental analysis data. Afterwards, a novel, simple and effective chemically modified carbon paste electrode with ligand L was prepared. The electrochemical properties and applications of the modified electrode, including the pH, percentage of modifier, the electron transfer, optimized conditions, linear response and detection limit were investigated. High sensitivity and reproducibility, together with the ease of preparation and regeneration of the electrode surface by simple polishing, make the electrode very suitable for the voltammetric determination of copper, mercury and cadmium in several Merck samples and water samples.     

Adsorptive voltammetric determination of copper as its nioximate complex

A sensitive and selective stripping voltammetric ultratrace determination of copper is described, based on adsorptive accumulation of the cu(II)-nioxime complex on the surface of a hanging mercury drop electrode, followed by the reduction of the adsorbed complex during the cathodic scan. The analytical conditions for the determination of copper by differential-pulse and linear-scan absorption voltammetry have been optimized. The method is compared to the routine anodic stripping voltammetric method for copper. Its applicability to river and potable water analysis is illustrated. The detection limit, restricted by the blank, is about 0.5 microg/l.; the relative standard deviation (at microg/l. level) for a standard solution is below 5% and for water samples is 5-9%.     

Conductometric determination of ammonium by a multisyringe flow injection system applying gas diffusion

A multisyringe flow injection system (MSFIA) coupled to a gas-diffusion cell has been developed for the conductometric determination of ammonium in different water samples. Operation strategies, membrane, reagent concentrations, and flow rates have been studied to optimize the sensitivity of detection and to fit the required working range. The proposed MSFIA system has been compared with former FIA and SIA systems using gas diffusion. The system was applied to the determination of ammonium in water samples of different matrices in order to evaluate its performance. These samples were coastal waters, pond waters, and compost aqueous extracts. Good recoveries of 102?±?13% were obtained and no significant differences with the reference methods were found. The system can be used for a wide concentration range of ammonia, from 0.075 to 360?mg?L^?1, without sample dilution and with a precision better than 2% of RSD. The throughput of the method was 32 injections per hour.     

Voltammetric determination of thiodiglycolic acid in urine

In urine the level of thiodiglycolic acid (TDGA) is a sensitive indicator of exposure of the human organism to some physiologically active or toxic substances, gases and vapors. The determination of TDGA by use of a voltammetric method based on electroreduction of TDGA in acidic solution at the hanging mercury drop electrode has been developed and practically tested. In order to eliminate the matrix effect of urine, prior to voltammetric measurement the samples are eluted from a small column of PVC powder. The method is simple, low cost, rapid and sensitive, appropriate for the needs of occupational medicine.     

Application of a renewable silver based mercury film electrode to the determination of Cr(VI) in soil samples

The design and experimental results of the application of a renewable mercury film silver based electrode to the determination of Cr(VI) in soil samples are presented. The main feature of this procedure is that it can be used in field measurements. The procedure is based on the extraction of total Cr(VI) exploiting the complexation property of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) followed by electrochemical reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) with the formation of Cr(III)-H₂DTPA complex adsorbed on mercury film electrode. The voltammetric signal is caused by reduction of this complex. The validation of the proposed procedure was made by Cr(VI) determination in the certified reference material “Chromium VI in soil”. The protocol for Cr(VI) determination has also been applied to the analysis of Rendoll soil samples with satisfying precision.

     

Dental Amalgam in Voltammetry. Some Preliminary Results

ABSTRACT

Liquid mercury and liquid diluted mercury amalgams have been superior as electrode material for the use of voltammetry for analytical purposes. This is mainly due to the high overvoltage to hydrogen, which enables one to use a wide potential range for the measurements. Due to the toxicity of mercury and liquid diluted mercury compounds, the use of such compounds are increasingly restricted, and cannot be included in voltammetric devices for field and online applications.

The present authors have studied the properties of dental amalgam and related solid amalgams as electrode material in voltammetry. Due to the special properties of dental amalgam compared with mercury itself it is not toxic.

It has been found that dental amalgam and related solid amalgams have a very high overpotential to hydrogen, allowing one to carry out trace analyses at potentials sufficiently negative to allow determination of e.g. zinc, cobalt, nickel and iron at trace levels. This have previously been difficult except when using a mercury or a mercury film electrode.

The present preliminary paper describes such electrodes and some practical applications for trace heavy metal analyses, using differential pulse stripping voltammetry. Such determinations are very important for field and online analyses of pollutants in soil and groundwater, and the electrode can be used repeatedly. Further improvements can obviously be obtained by optimising the composition of the alloy.     

Characterization and utilization of a long-lasting sessile-drop mercury electrode in differential pulse anodic-stripping voltammetric subtrace metal analysis of natural waters

Construction details and voltammetric characterization of a long-lasting sessile-drop mercury electrode are reported. The results obtained in the fully automated differential pulse anodicstripping voltammetric determination of cadmium in a simple purified electrolyte as well as of zinc, cadmium and lead in sea-water samples suggest that this new kind of semi-stationary mercury electrode may be employed in voltammetric trace and ultratrace analysis of natural waters for metal ions.     

Voltammetric Determination of Platinum in Plant Material

A very sensitive procedure for the determination of platinum in hydroponically cultivated plant samples (Sinapis alba L and Lolium perenne) is presented. A microwave digestion with HNO₃, HClO₄ and HCl acids with additional UV irradiation is followed by the platinum determination by adsorptive stripping voltammetry at hanging mercury drop electrode. The influence of HNO₃ acid on voltammetric determination of platinum is discussed. For validation of the obtained results the recovery of Pt was examined and the Pt determination by ICP MS was carried out. The highest platinum amounts were found in the roots of the plants, nevertheless the effective transport of platinum to the steams and leaves was also observed.     

Contribution to the adsorption voltammetric determination of manganese

The adsorption voltammetric determination of Mn(II) with Bromopyrogallol Red (BPR) and Mordant Red 19 (MDR) has been investigated using a hanging drop mercury electrode. In NH₃/NH₄Cl solution, ligands and Mn(II) complexes give well separated voltammetric peaks after enrichment onto the electrode. The conditions for determining manganese by adsorption voltammetry with these reagents have been investigated in detail, as has the influence of foreign ions on the determination. The detection limits are 4·10^?10 mol/L Mn for BPR and 8·10^?10 mol/L Mn for MDR, respectively.     

The determination of copper at thin film electrodes by constant current stripping potentiometry

A comparison of the determination of copper by constant current stripping potentiometry (CCSP) at mercury and gold films has been carried out. The preferred solution conditions for the mercury film study were determined to be 0.1M ammonium acetate at pH 4.5 and 0.1M HCl for the gold film study. The influence of chloride on the stripping signal was investigated and it was found that for the mercury film conditions, well-formed stripping signals could be obtained up to a chloride concentration of 0.5 M which permitted the ready determination of copper in seawater. With the gold film, high chloride concentrations affected both the film stability and the glassy carbon surface and repeatable results were difficult to obtain. The optimized CCSP methods were applied to various aqueous samples including tap water, seawater, TCLP (acetic acid) extracts as well as TCLP extracts using groundwater and ocean water. Based on the results obtained for these various matrices, it was concluded that there are several advantages favoring the mercury film. The interference from organic components in the sample matrix on the general applicability of CCSP for the determination of copper at either a mercury or gold film is discussed.     

Electroreduction of Zonisamide at Hanging Mercury Drop Electrode and Its Determination in Pharmaceutical Formulations and Spiked Human Serum Samples

A simple and rapid voltammetric method has been developed for the quantitative determination of zonisamide (ZNS) in pharmaceutical formulations and spiked human serum samples. Studies with differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were carried out using a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) in 0.1 M HCl solution. A well-defined reduction peak of ZNS was obtained at ?930 mV vs. saturated calomel electrode (SCE). The current-concentration plots are linear over the range from 0.13 to 17.05 μg ml^?1 in 0.1 M HCl. The statistical parameters and the recovery study data clearly indicate good reproducibility and accuracy of the method.