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Electrochemical sensor for simultaneous determination of herbicide MCPA and its metabolite 4-chloro-2-methylphenol. Application to photodegradation environmental monitoring

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Abstract

The development and application of a polyaniline/carbon nanotube (CNT) cyclodextrin matrix (PANI-β-CD/MWCNT)-based electrochemical sensor for the quantitative determination of the herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) and its main transformation product 4-chloro-2-methylphenol in natural waters are described. A simple cyclic voltammetry-based electrochemical methodology, in phosphate buffer solution at pH 6.0, was used to develop a method to determine both MCPA and 4-chloro-2-methylphenol, without any previous extraction or derivatization steps. A linear concentration range (10 to 50 μmol L−1) and detection limits of 1.1 and 1.9 μmol L−1, respectively, were achieved using optimized cyclic voltammetric parameters. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of MCPA and 4-chloro-2-methylphenol in natural water samples with satisfactory recoveries (94 to 107 %) and in good agreement with the results obtained by an established high-performance liquid chromatography technique, no significant differences being found between the methods. Interferences from ionic species and other herbicides used for broad-leaf weed control were shown to be small. The newly developed methodology was also successfully applied to MCPA photodegradation environmental studies.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia FCT/MCTES project PTDC/AGR-AAM/105044/2008, National Funds PIDDAC also co-financed by the European Community Fund FEDER through COMPETE–Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade (POFC), is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Engenharia Química, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP), Politécnico do Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida 431, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal

    V. Rahemi, J. M. P. J. Garrido & E. M. P. J. Garrido

  2. CIQ/Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal

    J. M. P. J. Garrido, F. Borges & E. M. P. J. Garrido

  3. Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra, 3004-535, Coimbra, Portugal

    C. M. A. Brett

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  1. V. Rahemi
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  2. J. M. P. J. Garrido
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  3. F. Borges
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  4. C. M. A. Brett
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  5. E. M. P. J. Garrido
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Correspondence to J. M. P. J. Garrido.

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Responsible editor: Ester Heath

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Rahemi, V., Garrido, J.M.P.J., Borges, F. et al. Electrochemical sensor for simultaneous determination of herbicide MCPA and its metabolite 4-chloro-2-methylphenol. Application to photodegradation environmental monitoring. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 4491–4499 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3693-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3693-y

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