Determination of Mercury in indoor dust samples by ultrasonic probe microextraction and stripping voltammetry on gold nanoparticles-modified screen-printed electrodes

A miniaturized, fast, and efficient ultrasonic probe assisted method for Hg(II) extraction from indoor dust samples, in hydrochloric acid medium, was developed. The combination of the extraction method with the electrochemical determination of mercury by square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) on gold nanoparticles-modified screen-printed carbon electrodes (AuNPs-SPCEs) resulted in a convenient method for rapid, sensitive, and reliable mercury monitoring. Parameters involved in the extraction such as acid concentration, sonication amplitude, and sonication time were optimized using a Face-centered cube Central Composite Design. ICP-MS was also used to contrast the methodology and good agreement with electrochemical results was verified. Optimization and validation of the procedure were carried out by using NIST Standard Reference Material (R) 2583 Trace Elements in Indoor Dust. Finally, the proposed methodology was successfully applied for Hg(II) determination in dust samples collected at different indoor ambients. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.