Abstract
Carbon screen-printed electrode (SPCE), multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified screen-printed electrode (SPCNTE), carbon nanofibers modified screen-printed electrode (SPCNFE), and graphene modified screen-printed electrode (SPGPHE) were in a pioneer way tested as sensors for the simultaneous determination of the two most consumed pain-killers, paracetamol (PA) and ibuprofen (IB), and the stimulant caffeine (CF) in water by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Their analytical performances were compared, and the resulting sensitivities (2.50, 0.074, and 0.24 μA V mg−1 L for PA, IB, and CF, respectively), detection limits (0.03, 0.6, and 0.05 mg L−1 for PA, IB, and CF, respectively) and quantification limits (0.09, 2.2, and 0.2 mg L−1 for PA, IB, and CF, respectively) suggested that the SPCNFE was the most suitable carbon-based electrode for the voltammetric determination of the selected analytes in water at trace levels. The methodology was validated using both spiked tap water and hospital wastewater samples. The results were compared to those achieved by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), the technique of choice for the determination of the target analytes.
Highlights
In recent years, the presence in the environment of trace amounts of emerging contaminants, especially drug residues, in water has been an area of major concern for the general public and the health authorities [1]
Optimization of Condition Media and the Potential Range. Both potential range and condition media were optimized in connection with the simultaneous determination of PA, IB, and CF by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) using the conventional screen-printed electrode (SPCE) as a carbon based screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) model
DPV measurements of 20 mg L−1 PA, IB, and CF solutions were performed in the presence of different buffers (Figure S1): 0.05 mol L−1 sulphuric acid, 0.1 mol L−1 acetate buffer, 0.1 mol L−1 maleate buffer, 0.1 mol L−1 phosphate buffer, and 0.1 mol L−1 ammonia buffer
Summary
The presence in the environment of trace amounts of emerging contaminants, especially drug residues, in water has been an area of major concern for the general public and the health authorities [1]. The analysis of drug residues in environmental samples is mainly carried out by gas chromatography (GC) or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) usually in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) [5,6,7]. Such methods are expensive due to the instrumentation involved and the high quality of the reagents required and need of specialized personnel due to the complexity of the instrumentation, and compared to other analytical methods, generate a lot of waste. The results were compared with those achieved by liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), the technique usually applied for the determination of the target analytes
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