Stripping voltammetry for the determination of trace metal speciation and in-situ measurements of trace metal distributions in marine waters

Progress in marine chemistry has been driven by improved sampling and sample handling techniques, and developments in analytical chemistry. Consequently, during the last 20 years our understanding of marine trace metal biogeochemistry has improved a great deal. Stripping voltammetric techniques (anodic stripping voltammetry and adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry) have made an important contribution to this understanding. The selectivity and extremely low detection limits have made stripping voltammetry a widely used technique for trace metal speciation and trace metal distribution measurements in seawater. Stripping voltammetry is very suitable for ship-board and in-situ applications because of the portability, low cost and capability for automation of the voltammetric instrumentation. Future developments in stripping voltammetry can be expected in the field of stand-alone submersible voltammetric analysers, capable of continuous trace metal measurements. Future applications of stripping voltammetry can be found in the interactions between trace metal speciation and growth and the functioning of organisms in pristine and metal polluted marine waters.     

Application of sampled-d.c. anodic stripping voltammetry to metal/fulvic acid equilibria

The use of anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) to determine the labile metal fraction in metal/ fulvic acid equilibrium systems is discussed. A method is described for distinguishing between the contributions of processes in the reduction and oxidation steps to the observed anodic (stripping) current. This method, which facilitates separate examination of the two processes, is based on timed addition of fulvic acids during the deposition step, on pH control, and on measurement of sampled-d.c. ASV peak areas (Faradaic charge) for metal/fulvic acid solutions. Results are presented for copper(Il) and lead(Il) complexes with six colloid-free soil-derived fulvic acids. In contrast to differential-pulse ASV, the stripping current measured by sampled-d.c. ASV showed no measurable contribution from ligand adsorption on the mercury drop. For heterogeneous ligand systems, such as fulvic acid, use of stripping peak heights over-estimates the fraction of non-labile metal complex because peak broadening results from the range of complexes formed in the anodic step.     

Electrochemical monitoring of biogenic microelements

This paper reviews literary data on electrochemical monitoring of biogenic microelements in natural and industrial objects. Special attention is paid to the questions of the trace determination for a number of transition metals by stripping voltammetry (SVA) after the adsorptive enrichment of these elements as dimethylglyoxime (DMG) complexes on the surface of a working electrode. The analytical possibilities of adsorptive SVA with the use of mercury-based and mercury-free electrodes are compared. The paper is dedicated to the memory of Vadim Mikhailovich Ivanov.     

Effect of the deposition potential on the voltammetric determination of complexing ligand concentrations in sea-water.

The effect of the deposition potential on the determination of complexing ligand concentrations in natural waters was investigated by titration with Cu from sea-water samples originating from the North Sea and monitoring the labile Cu concentration after deposition at two potentials, viz., -0.05 and -0.7 V. The amount of deposited metal was measured by cathodic stripping voltammetry with ligand competition, using tropolone as the added ligand. It was found that the complexing ligand concentration detected decreased by more than 60% when the more negative deposition potential was applied. The data indicate that a significant fraction of the organic complexes of Cu in natural waters is electrochemically labile at negative deposition potentials and is not determined by anodic stripping voltammetry. The concentrations and conditional stability constants of the complexing ligands in the North Sea are similar to those detected previously in the Irish Sea.     

Trace measurements of the antineoplastic agent methotrexate by adsorptive stripping voltammetry

An extremely sensitive voltammetric method is presented for trace measurement of the cancer chemotherapy drug methotrexate. The method is based on controlled adsorptive preconcentration of methotrexate on the hanging mercury-drop electrode, followed by voltammetric determination of the surface species. Cyclic voltammetry was used to explore the interfacial behaviour. The adsorptive stripping response was evaluated with respect to preconcentration time and potential, pH, concentration dependence, stripping mode, possible interferences, and other variables. The detection limit found was 2 x 10(-9)M (5-min preconcentration), the response was linear, and the relative standard deviation (at the 1.6 x 10(-7)M level) 2.2%. Sensitive adsorptive stripping measurements were also obtained by use of a carbon-paste disk electrode. Applicability to urine analysis is illustrated.     

Analytical methods for determination of free metal ion concentration, labile species fraction and metal complexation capacity of environmental waters: A review

Different experimental approaches have been suggested in the last few decades to determine metal species in complex matrices of unknown composition as environmental waters. The methods are mainly focused on the determination of single species or groups of species.The more recent developments in trace elements speciation are reviewed focusing on methods for labile and free metal determination.Electrochemical procedures with low detection limit as anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) and the competing ligand exchange with adsorption cathodic stripping voltammetry (CLE-AdCSV) have been widely employed in metal distribution studies in natural waters. Other electrochemical methods such as stripping chronopotentiometry and AGNES seem to be promising to evaluate the free metal concentration at the low levels of environmental samples. Separation techniques based on ion exchange (IE) and complexing resins (CR), and micro separation methods as the Donnan membrane technique (DMT), diffusive gradients in thin-film gels (DGT) and the permeation liquid membrane (PLM), are among the non-electrochemical methods largely used in this field and reviewed in the text. Under appropriate conditions such techniques make possible the evaluation of free metal ion concentration.     

Voltammetric methods for speciation analysis of trace metals in natural waters

Trace metals play an important role in the regulation of primary productivity and phytoplankton community composition. Metal species directly affects the biogeochemical cycling processes, transport, fate, bioavailability and toxicity of trace metals. Therefore, developing powerful methods for metal speciation analysis is very useful for research in a range of fields, including chemical and environmental analysis. Voltammetric methods, such as anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) and competing ligand exchange-adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (CLE-AdCSV), have been widely adopted for speciation analysis of metals in different natural aquatic systems. This paper provides an overview of the theory of voltammetric methods and their application for metal speciation analysis in natural waters, with a particular focus on current voltammetric methods for the discrimination of labile/inert fractions, redox species and covalently bound species. Speciation analysis of typical trace metals in natural waters including Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb are presented and discussed in detail, with future perspectives for metal speciation analysis using voltammetric methods also discussed. This review can elaborate the particular knowledge of theory, merits, application and future challenge of voltammetric methods for speciation analysis of trace metals in natural waters.     

Determination of Cobalt Ions in Natural Waters Using Differential Pulse Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetry

Abstract

Differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry using dimethylglyoxime complexes in the presence of triethanolamine and ammonium chloride can be applied to the determination of cobalt (II) ions in natural waters with high sensitivity. The limit of detection is about 3 ppt. Actual analysis of estuary water are reported. In this particular case of natural water, the factors influencing the use of differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry for the determination of cobalt are described in detail.     

Determination of trace metal speciation parameters by using screen-printed electrodes in stripping chronopotentiometry without deaerating

The objective of this study was to exploit the advantages of stripping chronopotentiometry (SCP) and stripping chronopotentiometry at scanned deposition potential (SSCP) for trace metal speciation analyses by using thin-film mercury screen-printed electrodes (TMF-SPE). At first, the SCP parameters were optimised for TMF-SPE, in order to reach the complete depletion regime. It has been shown that a stripping current higher than or equal to 10 μA allows this regime to be attained without removing oxygen from the solution.Then, these analytical conditions were used for the construction of SSCP curves for Cd-PDCA and Cd-NTA. When the concentration of free ligand in solution was known, the knowledge of the model describing the SSCP curves in absence and presence of a complex and the use of an effective fitting tool enabled estimating the stability constant and the rate constants for complexation. Further studies with complexes of restricted mobility are however necessary to assess the usefulness of this procedure to also estimate the diffusion coefficient of the complexes. Besides, this study showed that this approach was valid even when ligands were not in excess at the electrode during stripping.     

Adsorptive stripping voltammetry of some trace elements in biological samples. I. Cadmium and zinc

A study of the adsorptive stripping voltammetry of cadmium and zinc is reported in which ligands containing sulphur donor atoms were examined. This type of ligand showed good adsorptive behaviour and strong metal complexation. It was found that the ligand 2,5-dimer-capto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (DMTD) was very suitable for the determination of cadmium and zinc using this technique.The method was applied to the direct determination of these metals in biological samples using benzyl trimethylammonium methoxide as digesting solvent for the samples.     

Stripping voltammetric determination of traces of catechol compounds preceded by adsorptive accumulation of metal complexes

Catechol compounds are quantified by controlled adsorptive accumulation of their metal complexes onto a hanging mercury drop electrode followed by stripping voltammetry. By using tin(IV) as a redox marker for quantifying the surface-bound species, selectivity can be improved relative to conventional oxidative methods; dopamine can be quantified in the presence of ascorbic acid. The method allows measurements of micromolar levels of catechol, dopamine, l-dopa, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and caffeic acid. The adsorptive stripping response is evaluated with respect to preconcentration time and potential, tin(IV) and analyte concentrations, stripping mode, reproducibility and possible interferences. Analogously, solochrome violet RS and dimethylglyoxime can be quantified after accumulation of their iron(III) and nickel(II) complexes, respectively. Detection limits are 7×10^?9 M for solochrome violet RS and 5×10^?8 M for caffeic acid (1- and 5-min preconcentration, respectively).     

Characterisation of iron binding ligands in seawater by reverse titration

Here we demonstrate the use of reverse titration - competitive ligand exchange–adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (RT-CLE–ACSV) for the analysis of iron (Fe) binding ligands in seawater. In contrast to the forward titration, which examines excess ligands in solution, RT-CLE–ACSV examines the existing Fe-ligand complexes by increasing the concentration of added (electroactive) ligand (1-nitroso-2-naphthol) and analysis of the proportion of Fe bound to the added ligand. The data manipulation allows the accurate characterisation of ligands at equal or lower concentrations than Fe in seawater, and disregards electrochemically inert dissolved Fe such as some colloidal phases. The method is thus superior to the forward titration in environments with high Fe and low ligand concentrations or high concentrations of inert Fe.     

Adsorptive Square‐Wave Voltammetry for the Analysis and Speciation of Complexes of Cd(II)‐Ferron

The theory of adsorptive stripping square‐wave voltammetry (SWV) for relatively low ligand concentrations is employed to determine the reduction mechanism of Cd(II)‐ferron complexes accumulated on a static mercury drop electrode at different pH values. The electrochemical behavior of ferron molecules indicated that the adsorptive concentration of Cd(II) is possible in solutions with 3.5<pH<11, providing a wide pH range where the interference of other ligands present in real samples would be not so critical. Cyclic voltammetry experiments were also performed for the purpose of comparison. Fitting between experimental and theoretical square‐wave voltammograms shows that the prevailing species at the reaction layer coincide with the equilibrium bulk distribution. The simulation procedure indicated that the electrochemical rate constants of Cd(II)‐ferron complexes varied from (6±1) s^?1 to (0.17±0.01) s^?1 for solutions analyzed at pH 3.9 and 10.8, respectively. Changes at the surface concentrations are discussed considering the ligand to complex ratios at the electrode surface and at the solution bulk. From this analysis it is possible to infer that the oxidized metal species are produced in the electrolytic solution instead of on the electrode surface.     

Applications of adsorptive stripping voltammetry for the trace analysis of metals, pharmaceuticals and biomolecules

 A review with 159 references is presented on the applications of adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) for determining trace metal ions in different environmental samples (e.g. water, soil, plant, biological fluids). The analytical applications of AdSV to biologically active organic compounds (e.g. pharmaceuticals, pesticides, biomolecules) are also discussed. Received: 18 December 1995/Revised: 8 January 1997/Accepted: 12 January 1997     

Applications of adsorptive stripping voltammetry for the trace analysis of metals, pharmaceuticals and biomolecules

 A review with 159 references is presented on the applications of adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) for determining trace metal ions in different environmental samples (e.g. water, soil, plant, biological fluids). The analytical applications of AdSV to biologically active organic compounds (e.g. pharmaceuticals, pesticides, biomolecules) are also discussed. Received: 18 December 1995/Revised: 8 January 1997/Accepted: 12 January 1997     

Recent advances in stripping analysis

Summary A review is given of the key developments of stripping voltammetry in recent years. Important advances such as non-electrolytic (adsorptive) preconcentration schemes, modified or ultramicro stripping electrodes, and versatile and rapid flow systems are discussed. Such developments substantially enhance the analytical power of stripping voltammetry, allowing it to retain its place as one of the most useful techniques for trace analysis.     

Voltammetric measurement of haloperidol following adsorptive accumulation at glassy-carbon electrodes

A sensitive stripping voltammetric method is reported for trace measurement of the psychotherapeutic drug haloperidol. The method is based on adsorptive preconcentration of haloperidol on the glassy-carbon electrode in an open circuit, followed by medium exchange and voltammetric determination of surface species. Cyclic voltammetry was used to explore the adsorptive behaviour and the results obtained suggest that the adsorption of haloperidol corresponds to the Frumkin-type isotherm. The adsorptive stripping response was evaluated with respect to stripping mode, electrolyte. pH, preconcentration time, concentration dependence, possible interference and other variables. The detection limit was 1.3 x 10(-9)M (10 min preconcentration) and the response was linear. The relative standard deviation (at the 1.3 x 10(-6)M level) was 2.3%. Applicability to a patient's urine sample is illustrated.     

An evaluation of voltammetric titration procedures for the determination of trace metal complexation in natural waters by use of computers simulation

The impact of random analytical errors on the determination of metal complexation parameters of natural waters by metal titration procedures based on cathodic stripping (CSV) or anodic stripping (ASV) voltammetry is investigated by means of computer simulation. The results indicate that random analytical errors are of overriding importance in establishing the range of ligand concentrations and conditional stability constants that can be accurately determined by these techniques. Simulations incorporating realistic estimates of random analytical error show that only stability constants lying within a relatively narrow range, typically three orders of magnitude, can be determined accurately by the ASV procedure. The CSV procedure suffers from the same limitations, but is potentially more flexible in that the available detection window can be moved (but not widened) by adjustments to the method. Both techniques are capable of accurately determining ligand concentrations provided that the corresponding stability constant, K′, is greater than a threshold value which corresponds to the lower end of the available detection window for the stability constant. Realistically attainable improvements in analytical precision did not greatly improve the performance of either technique. Two graphical treatments for the evaluation of metal complexation parameters from titration data are compared: the Scatchard and Van den Berg/Ruzic plots. Simulations indicate that at least for the single-ligand model of complexation, the Van den Berg/Ruzic method is superior. The importance of the simulation results with respect to determining metal complexation parameters in natural waters is discussed. This study illustrates the value of computer simulation when complex, time-consuming analytical techniques are applied and the need for rigorous analysis of errors in producing data of environmental relevance.     

Chelate Adsorption for Trace Voltammetric Determination of Xanthosine 5′-Monophosphate and Xanthosine 5′-Diphosphate

Square-wave cathodic adsorptive stripping voltammetry based on adsorptive accumulation is a very sensitive technique for the trace determination of xanthosine 5′-monophosphate (5′-XMP) and xanthosine 5′-diphosphate (5′-XDP). The determination is based on the strong interaction of the adsorption of xanthosine phosphate compounds on a mercury electrode surface, forming Hg(II)-xanthate. The cathodic reduction of the accumulated Hg(II)-xanthate complex provides the basis for direct stripping measurements of the investigated biological compounds at subnanomolar concentration levels. Moreover, controlled adsorptive accumulation of the Cu(II) complex of xanthosine phosphate is also reported to assay trace amounts of xanthosine phosphate. The height of the sharp chelate peak of adsorbed Cu(II)-xanthate, coupled with the flat baseline, facilitates measurements at nanomolar and submicromolar concentration levels. The adsorption and the redox behaviour of the investigated complexes are indicated by cyclic voltammetry. Experimental and instrumental parameters for the quantitative determination were optimized. Statistical analysis of the calibration curve data is also included.     

Electrochemical methods for speciation of trace elements in marine waters. Dynamic aspects

The contribution of electrochemical methods to the knowledge of dynamic speciation of toxic trace elements in marine waters is critically reviewed. Due to the importance of dynamic considerations in the interpretation of the electrochemical signal, the principles and recent developments of kinetic features in the interconversion of metal complex species will be presented. As dynamic electrochemical methods, only stripping techniques (anodic stripping voltammetry and stripping chronopotentiometry) will be used because they are the most important for the determination of trace elements. Competitive ligand exchange-adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry, which should be considered an equilibrium technique rather than a dynamic method, will be also discussed because the complexing parameters may be affected by some kinetic limitations if equilibrium before analysis is not attained and/or the flux of the adsorbed complex is influenced by the lability of the natural complexes in the water sample. For a correct data interpretation and system characterization the comparison of results obtained from different techniques seems essential in the articulation of a serious discussion of their meaning.