Polarography and voltammetry in studies of toxic metals in man and his environment

Abstract

A brief introduction on sources, occurrence and fate of some toxic trace metals found in the natural environment is followed by a discussion of general methodological aspects from the trace chemical viewpoint. The versatile, significant and specific potentialities of advanced polarographic and voltammetric methods are compared with relevant non-electrochemical alternatives. They are subsequently demonstrated by a survey on representative applications, results and findings on problems from all types of environmental compartments and food chains to man, with emphasis on the toxic trace metals Cu, Cd, Hg, Pb, and also in certain matrices for Zn, As, Se, Tl and Bi. A final section is devoted to the particular potentialities of the electrochemical approach for speciation studies in natural waters at realistic trace levels of the dissolved toxic metals, e.g. Zn, Cd and Pb.