Design and development of electrochemical potentiostat circuit for the sensing of toxic cadmium and lead ions in soil

Abstract

Contamination of heavy metal ions in soils has proved to be a significant concern and it poses many health risks. Conventional methods used for the identification and detection of heavy metals were non portable and not suitable for onsite applications. The proposed work is to design a low cost electronic circuit for the detection of cadmium and lead ions in soil sample. A screen printed electrode and a Glassy Carbon electrode are interfaced with a designed circuit for electrochemical analysis. Anodic stripping voltammetry is the theory behind the metal ion detection process. Based on the current peaks observed in the voltammetry process, the presence of lead and cadmium in a given sample can be determined. A voltage controlled circuit is designed to perform the functions of Ec-Lab which makes this system portable. The results are compared with that of the potentiostat device to evaluate the accuracy of the designed circuit.