The use of copper solid amalgam electrodes for determination of the pesticide thiram

The complexes formed between copper and thiram and between mercury and thiram have been electrochemically (voltammetrically) investigated in the present work. Their structure was confirmed using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Due to formation of the complex between copper (from copper solid amalgam electrode) and thiram, the concentration of this pesticide can be determined. The voltammetric behavior of thiram was investigated at polished (p-CuSAE) and mercury meniscus modified (m-CuSAE) copper solid amalgam electrodes (inner diameter 1.5 mm) by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and by direct current voltammetry (DCV). Optimum conditions for DPV determination of thiram were found in Britton-Robinson buffer. The reaction mechanism was investigated using DCV and elimination voltammetry with linear scan. DPV with optimized parameters was applied for determination of thiram in analyzed solutions. The limits of detection were calculated as 16 nmolL(-1) (t(acc) = 100 s) for m- CuSAE and 23 nmolL(-1) (t(acc) = 60 s) for p-CuSAE. The proposed method was successfully applied for thiramdetermination in real sample solutions.