Flow-Injection Analysis (FIA) Electrochemical Speciation of Copper in Coastal Waters by Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (ASV)

A sensitive and precise method for copper (Cu) speciation [electroactive Cu (II), acid-dissolved Cu (0, II), and inert Cu (0)] in coastal waters was developed using flow-injection analysis and electrochemical detection. The reaction is based on a simple redox reaction using a gold nanoparticle modified electrode. The effects of experimental parameters were investigated and optimized. The presence of iron, lead, zinc, cadmium, and aluminum did not interfere with the determination of copper. For total copper, the method detection limit was 1.3 nM, and the quantification range was from 5 to 1000 nM (R(2)equal to 0.995), which is sufficiently sensitive for coastal water analysis. A certified reference material was used to characterize the accuracy and good agreement was obtained. The developed method was applied to analyze coastal water samples collected from the Guangdang River, Shandong, China. The Cu species present are reported and discussed