Adsorptive stripping voltammetry of 1-hydroxypyrene at the thin-film mercury electrode—basis for quantitative determination of PAH metabolite in biological materials Original Research Article

The electrochemical behavior of 1-hydroxypyrene at a thin-film mercury electrode was investigated to provide the basis for development of an inexpensive, sensitive, and reliable method for determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites in biological matrices. Optimum experimental conditions for analytical applications were obtained in 0.01 M NaOH solution using an accumulation potential of −0.20 V, a scan rate of 200 mV s−1, a pulse height of 50 mV, and the square wave scan mode. The electrode response to 1-hydroxypyrene is linear up to 100 ppb. For an accumulation time of 10 min, the detection limit was 0.23 ppb (1.06 × 10−9 mol L−1). The method was applied to the determination of 1-hydroxypyrene in samples of human urine. Cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry were used to characterize the interfacial and redox behavior.