Simultaneous quantification of Hg(II) and Pb(II) by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry using Bi/graphite...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Accurate detection of heavy metals like mercury (Hg(II)) and lead (Pb(II)) is crucial for environmental safety.
• Existing methods for simultaneous quantification can be complex or lack sensitivity at low concentrations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and optimize a graphite-supported bismuth film working electrode (BiFE).
• To achieve simultaneous quantification of Hg(II) and Pb(II) at parts per billion (ppb) levels.
• To establish optimal conditions for BiFE synthesis and electrochemical detection.

Main Methods:

• In-situ electrodeposition of bismuth film on graphite.
• Optimization using a design of experiments and response surface modeling (RSM).
• Square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) for simultaneous detection.

Main Results:

• Optimal BiFE synthesis achieved with 3 mM bismuth concentration and 10s deposition time.
• Simultaneous detection limits of 1 ppb for Hg(II) and 10 ppb for Pb(II) were obtained.
• High linearity for calibration curves with R² values of 0.988 (Hg(II)) and 0.982 (Pb(II)).

Conclusions:

• The developed BiFE offers a sensitive and selective platform for simultaneous Hg(II) and Pb(II) detection.
• Optimized electrodeposition and SWASV provide a robust method for trace metal analysis.
• This approach holds promise for environmental monitoring applications requiring ppb-level detection.