Progress in research on detection of active heavy metals in seawater by Shandong Yantai needle sensor

[ Instrument Network Instrument Development ] Trace heavy metals in seawater are pollutants that are very harmful to human health and the ecological environment. The toxicity of heavy metals does not depend on their total concentration, but on their presence in seawater environment. closely related.

As China's marine testing standard (GB 17378-2007) and the US EPA heavy metal detection standard method, anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) is the most simple and effective technique for metal element speciation analysis. In view of the sensitivity limitations of current sensors, it is very important to construct a new sensor with high sensitivity to realize the speciation analysis of trace active heavy metals in seawater.

The Yantai Coastal Zone Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences "Guidelines for the Monitoring and Application of Coastal Nutrients" was inspired by the traditional Chinese acupuncture treatment method, which uses stainless steel acupuncture needles as the matrix, combined with functional nanomaterials, through insulation, sealing, functionalization, etc. In the process, a new type of needle sensor was prepared. The heavy metal copper (Cu) was used as a template to detect and analyze the active heavy metals in seawater by using the prepared needle sensor.

The needle-shaped sensor exhibits excellent performance and high sensitivity for the stripping voltammetry detection of Cu after combining the special morphology, size and function of the nanoelectrode with the electrochemical catalysis and enrichment performance of the needle electrode (detection limit) 15.4 pM). Through different sample pretreatment processes, anodic stripping voltammetry combined with needle sensor was used to detect and analyze three different forms of Cu (dissolved active Cu, dissolved acid extractable Cu, total acid extractable Cu). At the same time, the construction method of the needle sensor was improved. The self-assembly method was used to modify the nano-material on the surface of the acupuncture needle. The prepared sensor has higher stability. The new needle sensor constructed with stainless steel acupuncture needles has high hardness and puncture, making it easy to integrate sensors.

The relevant research results were published in the Electrochimica Acta and Analytical Methods journals, respectively. The above research work was funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Youth Innovation Promotion Association, Shandong Province and Yantai City Key Research and Development Program.

(Original title: The progress of the needle-shaped sensor in the coastal zone of Yantai to detect active heavy metals in seawater)