Voltammetric determination of carcinogenic nitrobiphenyls at a hanging mercury drop electrode

Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) at a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) was used for the determination of trace amounts of carcinogenic nitrobiphenyls, namely 2-nitrobiphenyl (2-NBP), 3-nitrobiphenyl (3-NBP) and 4-nitrobiphenyl (4-NBP) within the concentration range from 2.10^-8 to 1.10^-5 mol·L^-1 for DPV and from 2.10^-9 to 1.10 ^-7 mol·L^-1 for AdSV using a Britton-Robinson buffer - methanol (1:1) mixture with resulting pH 12 as a base electrolyte. The practical applicability of newly developed methods was verified using model samples of drinking and river water and liquid-liquid extraction for a preliminary separation and preconcentration.