Anodic stripping voltammetry with medium exchange in trace element speciation

The application of medium exchange in anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) was investigated by determing the fractions of ASV-labile copper, lead, cadmium and zinc in the presence of a variety of natural and sysnthetic ligands in a soft water. Pristin and polluted samples of river water were also tested. Medium exchange, where the test solution is replaced after electrodeposition by a simple electrolyte such as acetate buffer, before the oxidation (stripping) of the deposited metals, can ensure that the ASV-labile metal fraction depends only on the parameters of the electrodeposition step. Significant differences were found for ASV-labile fractons when medium exchange was used for the two river water samples, and for several mertal/ligand combinations such as copper/chloride, copper/humic acid, and zinc/tannic aid. It is recommended that medium exchange be used routinely for ASV-labile determinations.