Differential pulse polarographic determination of the herbicides atrazine, prometrine and simazine

A differential pulse polarographic method, using the dropping mercury electrode for the determination of the herbicides atrazine, prometrine and simazine is described. The optimum pH is 2. The limit of detection is 8 x 10(-8)M, corresponding to about 15 mu/l. The electrochemical behaviour of the compounds on glassy-carbon and mercury-coated glassy-carbon electrodes was also examined with a view to its use for electrochemical detection of the herbicides after their separation by HPLC.