Determination of pesticides using heteropolyacid montmorillonite clay-modified electrode with surfactant

Redox behavior of three pesticides, namely isoproturon, carbendazim and methyl parathion was investigated electrochemically using hetropolyacid montmorillonite clay-modified glassy carbon electrode in the presence and absence of a surfactant, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide. A solution of 0.1 M H₂SO₄ in 50% aqueous alcohol (pH 1.0) was found to be suitable medium for electroanalysis. Isoproturon exhibited one well-defined oxidation peak around 1.2 V along with one more oxidation and reduction peaks. Carbendazim showed only one well-defined anodic peak around 1.4 V. Methyl parathion exhibited one well-defined reduction peak around −0.26 V and the oxidation peak appeared around 0.510 V. In the second cycle, a new cathodic peak was found around 0.420 V. The presence of surfactant enhanced the peak current and hence stripping voltammetric determination procedures for all the three pesticides were developed. Square wave stripping mode was employed and the maximum current experimental conditions were arrived at. Calibration plot was made for all the three pesticides. The determination limit and standard deviations were arrived at. The applicability of the method was also verified in a soil sample and water analyte.