Characterization of a green expanded DGT methodology for the in-situ detection of emerging endocrine disrupting chemicals in water systems

Abstract

Performances of sustainable and easy-to-make agarose (1.5%) – AC (1%) DGTs to monitor emerging EDCs were investigated. TGA, EDX showed agarose (1.5%) and agarose (1.5%) – AC (1%) biodegradable gels have constant water-carbon ratio along the two-dimensions ensuring consistent diffusive property and binding abilities. Gaussian simulations gave back lengths and widths of (12.32 Å; 5.11 Å), (12.32 Å; 6.77 Å), (10.18 Å; 4.36 Å), (10.23 Å; 4.83 Å) for E2, EE2, BPA and BPAF, respectively. FE-SEM characterization showed agarose (1.5%) has average pore number of 22 ± 5 μm2 with d.nm Ø 30 nm, while agarose (1.5%) – AC (1%) 13 ± 2 μm2 with d.nm Ø 45, ensuring free analytes diffusion. Effective diffusion coefficients at 25 °C were (3.97 ± 0.98 · 10-6 cm2 s-1), (3.18 ± 0.04 · 10-6 cm2 s-1), (3.09 ± 0.61 · 10−6 cm2 s-1), (3.55 ± 1.03 · 10-6 cm2 s-1) for E2, EE2, BPA and BPAF respectively. Kinetic studies showed agarose (1.5%) – AC (1%) uptakes, over the first 60 min, 97%, 95%, 98%, 98% of E2, EE2, BPA, BPAF, respectively with relative binding rates of 2.48, 3.55, 2.05, 1.20 ng cm-2 min-1. Agarose (1.5%) – AC (1%) DGT resulted suitable for EDCs in trace detection.