Analytical chemistry in investigation and protection of the environment

The main goal of studies carried in our reasearch group – analytical chemistry in investigation and protection of the environment is the evaluation of the impact of human activity on environmental pollution, and creation of analytical procedures that can be applied in environmental analysis. Detailed description of our research can be found on webpage http://www.chem.uw.edu.pl/labs/pcas. In this paper we would like to present only a few topics and analytical challenges that we were dealing with during the last years. The application of anodic and cathodic stripping voltammetry for trace analysis of hazardous metals (cadmium, lead, thallium, platinum, rhodium) in natural samples is described [4–6]. Voltammetry is also presented as a tool used in speciation analysis, which is particularly important in the case of elements which toxicity and assimilation depends on chemical form of the element that is present in the environment (e.g. As) [8]. Attention is also paid to fractionation, which is a specific case of speciation analysis, extremely important for evaluation of mobility and bioavailability of harmful or nutritious substances from soil. As environmental monitoring often requires carrying measurements at trace levels, it might be necessary to preconcentrate the analytes or simplify the composition of the sample before the analysis. For such purposes solid phase extraction (SPE) is widely used and frequently applied. Another analytical task presented in this work is recognition of the defense mechanisms developed by hyperaccumulating plants, e.g. white mustard. This species was investigated for synthesis of phytochelatins – sulphur-rich polipeptides induced by high concentrations of As, Tl, Cd, Pt, Pd and Rh [14]. It is worth noting that plant species that are able to cumulate high amounts of xenobiotics can be used for phytoremediation, which is one of so called “green technologies”, used for restitution of polluted environment, particularly soil [19]

Persistence of copper-based nanoparticle-containing foliar sprays in Lactuca sativa (lettuce) characterized by spICP-MS

Copper oxide and hydroxide nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) are components of some commercial pesticides. When these Cu-NPs dissolve in the environment, their size distribution, efficacy, and toxicity are altered. Since acute toxicity screens typically involve pristine NPs, quantification of the transformation of their size distribution in edible leaf vegetables is necessary for accurate consumer risk assessment. Single particle ICP-MS was used to investigate the persistence of three forms of Cu-NPs following foliar application to live lettuce (Lactuca sativa): CuO NP, Cu(OH)2 NP, and Kocide 3000®. A methanol-based digestion method was used to minimize Cu-NP dissolution during extraction from the leaf tissues. After dosing, the NPs associated with the leaf tissues were characterized over a 9-day period to monitor persistence. Nanoparticle counts and total copper mass concentrations remained constant, though the particle size distributions shifted down over time.Washing the leaves in tap water resulted in removal of total copper while the number of Cu-NPs remaining depended on the form applied. This work indicates that washing of lettuce preferentially removed dissolved Cu over Cu-NPs, and that the amount of residual Cu- NPs remaining is low when applied at the recommended rates for Kocide 3000®.publishe