ABSTRACT:
Mercury (Hg) is recognized as one of the most toxic heavy metals due to its persistence, bioaccumulation, and severe impact on human health and aquatic ecosystems. Even at trace concentrations, exposure to Hg can lead to neurological, renal, and developmental disorders, making its monitoring in environmental samples critically important. Therefore, this study aimed to detect total Hg in fresh and waste water samples by anodic stripping voltammetry using a modified gold electrode. For this purpose, water samples from 5 different regions of Sindh were collected in plastic bottles and transported to the NCEAC Lab. The signal of aqueous Hg(II) was measured in differential pulse anodic Stripping Voltammetry (DPASV) mode, while the effects of deposition potential and deposition time on the analytical signal were examined. The supporting electrolyte was 0.2 M HCl. The repeatability, linearity, accuracy, interference effects of foreign ions, pH, and the limit of detection of the procedure were also studied. The performance of the gold electrode (AuE) was evaluated, demonstrating a low limit of detection (LOD), greater reproducibility, and higher sensitivity to Hg in water samples. A detection limit of 0.06 ng/mL was achieved with a preconcentration time of 600s. The reproducibility, expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD), was always less than 1.62%. The method demonstrated good selectivity and was successfully applied to detect Hg in fresh and wastewater samples collected from various locations within the study area.
Keywords: Hg, water samples, Gold electrode, Anodic stripping voltammetry

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