REMOTE ELECTROCHEMICAL SENSOR FOR TRACE METAL CONTAMINANTS

摘要

An electrochemical sensor technology, based on stripping potentiometry at a 100-mu m gold fiber electrode, has been developed for remote detection of trace metal contaminants, The new probe circumvents technical difficulties, including the need for mercury surfaces, removal of oxygen, or forced convection, that previously prevented the adaptation of stripping analysis to in situ remote operations, The gold microelectrode, connected to a long communication cable, allows convenient measurements of trace copper, mercury, lead, or selenium at 3-4-min intervals and instrument/sample distances up to 32 m, The remarkable sensitivity of the probe is coupled with multielement capability, high stability, and simplicity, Field demonstrations involving both downhole ground-water monitoring and in situ shipboard seawater analysis were successful, The new probe should be extremely useful. for the characterization of priority metal pollutants in hazardous waste sites and for the immediate detection of sudden metal contaminations, [References: 18]