Electrochemical determination of carbaryl oxidation in natural water and soil samples

An electrochemical method for the determination of carbaryl, after prior oxidation to 1,4-naphthoquinone in natural water and soils is reported. The coulometric oxidation of carbaryl at a platinum electrode was studied using 0.024 mol/L Britton-Robinson buffer (pH 7.0). The reduction of the oxidation product 1,4-naphthoquinone at a dropping mercury electrode was used for the indirect determination of carbaryl after separation on C₁₈ Sep-pak cartridges by differential pulse polarography (detection limits: 0.41 mg L^?1 of water and 0.47 mg kg^?1 of soil) and directly without separation by adsorptive stripping voltammetry (detection limits: 5 μg L^?1 of water and 7 μg kg^?1 of soil, for 75 s preconcentration time). Relative errors were lower than 3.7% and relative standard deviations smaller than 4.5%.