Quantitative determination of zinc in milkvetch by anodic stripping voltammetry with bismuth film electrodes

Abstract Bismuth film electrode (BiFE) was shown to be an attractive alternative to common mercury film electrode (MFE) for anodic stripping voltammetric measurements. In this study, bismuth film, that was in situ deposited onto glassy carbon electrode, was used to detect zinc content of milkvetch, used in traditional Chinese medicine. Variables affecting the response have been evaluated and optimized. Experimental results showed a high response, with a good linearity (between 0.5 × 10 −6  mol L −1 and 3 × 10 −6  mol L −1 ) a good precision (R.S.D. = 3.58%) and a low detection limit (9.6 × 10 −9  mol L −1 with a 120 s anodic). The anodic stripping performance makes the bismuth film electrode very desirable for measurements of trace nutritive element zinc in milkvetch and should impart possible restrictions on the use of mercury electrode.