Southeastern Section - 57th Annual Meeting (10–11 April 2008)

Paper No. 1
Presentation Time: 8:20 AM

A REVIEW OF VOLTAMMETRIC SOLID-STATE MICROELECTRODE APPLICATIONS FOR REAL-TIME INVESTIGATION OF BIOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES IN NATURAL WATERS AND SEDIMENTS


LEWIS, Brent L., Dept. of Marine Science, Coastal Carolina University, Science Bldg Rm 209-B, Conway, SC 29526 and LUTHER III, George W., School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE 19958, blewis@coastal.edu

Electrochemical techniques have often been used to study environmental processes. Over the past couple of decades, there has been a concentrated effort to develop electrodes and instrumentation for taking real-time measurements voltammetry and other techniques. Here we will briefly outline the major methods using electrodes in environmental chemical analysis, followed by a review and update of the applications of solid-state gold amalgam microelectrodes developed at the University of Delaware. These electrodes are capable of simultaneous, fine-scale resolution of multiple redox-sensitive analytes and selected trace metals (e.g. O2, Mn2+, Fe2+, FeS((aq), HS-/S8/Sxn-, I-, Pb2+, Zn2+). For this talk, we will present the construction and application of these microelectrodes for sub-millimeter resolution measurements in marine and freshwater sediments, in metal contaminated salt marshes, in hypoxic/anoxic basins (Chesapeake Bay and the Black Sea) and at hydrothermal vents. The development of user-controlled and unattended in situ electrochemical analyzers will also be discussed.