Influence of UV-B radiation on lead speciation in the presence of natural particles of estuarine waters

The influence of UV-B irradiation on filtered and non-filtered water samples collected in a non-polluted area of Tagus estuary was evaluated in this study. In the laboratory, both samples were titrated with lead (Pb(+2)) followed by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV), before and after 1 and 10 days under UV-B irradiation. Metal-ligand complexing parameters were obtained based on a macromolecular heterogeneous ligand described by two distinct sites with a labile behavior, and a third small homogeneous weaker group, which concentration was determined from a potentiometric titration. Under UV-B radiation, the complexing strength decreased with time in both (filtered and non-filtered) irradiated samples, but this effect was more pronounced in the non-filtered water, which might be due to some adsorption of dissolved macromolecular ligands on the particles and/or to further degradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Furthermore, the presence of particles favored the break-down of the macromolecular ligand under long UV-B exposure time. These results present ecological implications for the estuarine ecosystems such as bioavailability and toxicity.

Influence of the sediment on lead speciation in the Tagus estuary

The aim of this work is to study the influence of the Tagus estuarine sediment on lead speciation in the overlying natural water. The water sample in the presence of the sediment was contaminated three times with Pb(II) in a laboratory experiment. In different periods of time, at 1-7 days after each contamination, small volumes of water were titrated with lead. The titration was followed by anodic stripping voltammetry in differential pulse mode. Before and after contamination systematic analysis of the voltammetric parameters (peak current, peak potential and peak width) were carried out to get a clear picture of Pb(II) complexation in the soluble fraction in contact with the sediment. Two main types of organic ligands, macromolecular ligands and small compounds, were detected before contamination. Both of them form labile complexes (degree of lability within the timescale of some milliseconds). The small compounds, with a diffusion coefficient similar to that of the free metal ion, present a homogeneous behaviour in terms of Pb complexation. On the other hand macromolecular ligands, with a diffusion coefficient of 1.2 x 10(-6) cm2s(-1), can be described by two different binding groups, which might be of phenolic and carboxylic type as presented by humic matter. The sediment eliminated lead contamination (10(-6) moldm(-3) was the maximum concentration added) from 12 dm3 of water (surface of 8 dm2) within 2 days. It was also found that the sediment released organic ligands responsible for both labile and inert Pb complexes "seen" by voltammetry. The release of organic ligands that decreases the bioavailability of Pb(II) was clearly detected 1 week after contamination. Therefore, the sediment acts as a buffer for lead through two mechanisms against lead contamination: removing lead ions from the solution and releasing organic ligands to the water column. In a short period of time the sediment responds as a self-cleaning system for Pb(II) contamination in the estuarine water, which may have a very important influence in environmental pollution.

Flow amperometric determination of pharmaceuticals with on-line electrode surface renewal

In this article, a flow system developed for the amperometric determination of a great variety of pharmaceuticals that are known to lead the rapid poisoning of the working electrode surface is described. The referred system was made up of two parallel flow channels that shared the voltammetric detector of tubular configuration, whose movement in the manifold followed the concept of multi-site location of detector. In this way, after each measurement, the conditioning of the working electrode was possible through the passage by its surface of a regeneration solution without implying the alteration of the carrier that flowed in the analytical channel of the manifold. The methodology proposed was evaluated through the determination of two drugs belonging to two distinct therapeutic groups: an antihypertensive (diltiazem) and a non-steroid anti-inflammatory (nimesulide). The results obtained after evaluation of various pharmaceutical formulations on the Portuguese market were in the case of diltiazem compared with those supplied by the reference US Pharmacopoeia XXIV method, with no statistically significant differences having been observed for a confidence interval of 95%. In the case of nimesulide, since no official reference method exists, a series of recovery experiments were proceeded with and a mean value of 101.1% with a R.S.D. of 0.7% was obtained.