Development of a Nanocomposite-Based Electrochemical Sensing of Arsenic in Aqueous Solution

Contamination of drinking water with heavy metals is a serious threat to the global environment and public health. Currently, approximately 20 countries have been reported for arsenic levels present in drinking water that are higher than the EPA guidelines. Arsenic is highly toxic, widely dispersed and found in the earth’s crust. It can be found in inorganic as well as organic compounds in water. Arsenic is released into the environment in a variety of ways, including industrial effluents, pesticides, wood preservative chemicals, combustion of petroleum and coal, and mining operations. Currently, Arsenic is determined using a wide variety of methods that include inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ICPMS and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Nevertheless, these methods are slow, expensive and require skilled people to operate. Alternatively, electrochemical sensors have been potentially recognized as a powerful analytical method for the detection of heavy metals at very low concentrations. It also allows on-site and continuous monitoring of heavy metals. A nanocomposite consisting of gold nanoparticles and conducting polymers (polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA) and polystyrene sulfonate (PSS)) functionalized graphene was used in this study to detect arsenic, which causes major environmental and health concerns.