High-Throughput Mercury Monitoring in Indoor Dust Microsamples by Bath Ultrasonic Extraction and Anodic Stripping Voltammetry on Gold Nanoparticles-Modified Screen-Printed Electrodes

A simple strategy based on the combination of a high-throughput bath ultrasonic extraction with portable electrochemical determination was developed for fast Hg(II) monitoring in dust samples, with potential applicability to decentralized atmospheric pollution assessment. Square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) on gold nanoparticles-modified screen-printed carbon electrodes (AuNPs-SPCEs) coupled to the extraction procedure resulted in a convenient method for sensitive, reliable, and reproducible mercury detection. The proposed combination of techniques was evaluated with good agreement by using NIST Standard Reference Material 2583 Trace Elements in Indoor Dust. The method was successfully applied for Hg monitoring in complex and heterogeneous indoor dust samples collected at different indoor ambients. ICP-MS was used to contrast the voltammetric measurements.