Determination of Lead with a Copper-Based Electrochemical Sensor

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Heavy metal contamination, particularly lead (Pb), poses significant environmental and health risks.
• Current methods for heavy metal detection are often complex, expensive, or not suitable for rapid, on-site analysis.
• Developing cost-effective and portable sensors is crucial for effective point-of-care (POC) monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a low-cost copper (Cu)-based electrochemical sensor for lead determination in surface water.
• To assess the sensor's performance, including its limit of detection, selectivity, and stability in real-world water samples.
• To establish the feasibility of using this sensor for accessible environmental monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a novel copper-based electrode for electrochemical sensing.
• Utilized anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) for the quantitative analysis of lead.
• Tested the sensor's performance in surface water samples, evaluating its limit of detection (LOD) and resistance to common interfering metals like cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn).

Main Results:

• The copper-based sensor achieved a low limit of detection for lead (21 nM or 4.4 ppb).
• Demonstrated significant resistance to interference from cadmium and zinc, ensuring selective lead detection.
• Exhibited stable performance in natural water samples with minimal sample preparation required.

Conclusions:

• The developed copper-based electrochemical sensor is a promising, low-cost tool for sensitive and selective lead detection.
• Its simplicity, portability, and cost-effectiveness make it suitable for on-site environmental monitoring.
• This technology has the potential for broader applications in environmental and biological analysis requiring rapid, inexpensive heavy metal assessment.