Evaluation of chitosan as a binding agent of diffusive gradients in thin films technique (DGT) for the in situ determination of metals in water samples

• Grant number: 11/05771-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2011
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Sergio Tonello
• Grantee: Mariana Favero
• Host Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus Experimental de Sorocaba. Sorocaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The discharge of industrial effluents and subsequent contamination of water bodies by trace metals is a major threat to human health and aquatic ecosystems. Diffusive gradients in thin films technique (DGT) is an important monitoring tool for trace metals in the environment. Generally the Chelex 100 resin is the used one as a binding material by the technique. Thus, this project have intend to use the polymer chitosan as an alternative material to be evaluated as the binding agent in the DGT technique for the determination of metal species of environmental interest. Chitosan gel films will be prepared and its ability to retain analytes will be examineted. After the definitions of the interactions between the binding agent and analytes, the studies will be directed to the analytes with the best interaction with chitosan. After the selection of the analytes, the behavior evaluation of the binding agent as a function from the main variables of the systems (immersion time, pH and ionic strength) will be done. The effects of potential interferences will also be evaluated. The DGT technique containing the new binding material will be tested with in situ water samples. As a result, we expect to obtain sufficient information to lead to the development of new analytical methods to in situ determination of metal species in aquatic environments.