Anodic stripping voltammetry with gold electrodes as an alternative method for the routine determination of mercury in fish. Comparison with spectroscopic approaches

Abstract

The applicability to the determination of mercury in tuna of square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SW-ASV) conducted at both solid gold electrode (SGE) and a gold nanoparticle-modified glassy carbon electrode (AuNPs-GCE) was demonstrated. Mercury content in two certified materials and in ten samples of canned tuna was measured. The performances of the electrodes were compared with one another as well as with two spectroscopic techniques, namely cold vapour atomic absorption spectroscopy (CV-AAS) and a direct mercury analyser (DMA). The results found pointed out that both SW-ASV approaches were suitable and easy-to-use method to monitor mercury concentration in tunas, since they allowed accurate quantification at concentration values lower than the maximum admissible level in this matrix ([Hg]=1mg/kg_{wet weight,ww}). In particular, mercury detection at the AuNPs-GCE showed a LOQ in fish-matrix of 0.1μg/l, corresponding to 0.06mg/kg_ww, with performance comparable to that of DMA.

Keywords: Cold vapour atomic absorption spectroscopy; Direct mercury analyser; Gold nanoparticle-modified glassy carbon electrode; Mercury; Solid gold electrode.