Electrocatalysis of sulphide with a cellulose acetate film bearing 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol. Application to sewage using a fully automated flow injection manifold

The application of an electrochemical sensor, based on a glassy carbon electrode, modified with a cellulose acetate polymeric film bearing 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (CA/DCPI-CME), for flow injection analysis of sulphide, is described. The overall reaction was found to obey a catalytic regeneration mechanism (EC mechanism) and the electrochemical rate constant kf for the electrocatalytic oxidation of sulphide was evaluated. The modified electrodes were mounted in a flow-injection manifold, poised at +0.08 mV versus Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl at pH 7.25 and utilised for the determination of sulphide in urban waste samples. The proposed method correlates well with a colorimetric method. Parameters such as working pH, sample size, flow rate and temperature were studied. Interferants of various compounds normally present in real samples were also tested. Calibration graphs were linear over the range 0.02–1 mM sodium sulphide for CA/DCPI-CMEs hydrolysed in KOH for 6 min. The throughput was 25 samples per h and the R.S.D. was 1.2% (n=7) for 0.1 mM sodium sulphide. Recoveries for spiked urban waste samples ranged from 99 to 120%. The sensor remained active for more than 2 weeks under specified conditions.