title: Simultaneous automatic electrochemical detection of zinc, cadmium, copper and lead ions in environmental samples using a thin-film mercury electrode and an artificial neural network.
abstract: In this study a device for automatic electrochemical analysis was designed. A three electrodes detection system was attached to a positioning device, which enabled us to move the electrode system from one well to another of a microtitre plate. Disposable carbon tip electrodes were used for Cd(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II) ion quantification, while Zn(II) did not give signal in this electrode configuration. In order to detect all mentioned heavy metals simultaneously, thin-film mercury electrodes (TFME) were fabricated by electrodeposition of mercury on the surface of carbon tips. In comparison with bare electrodes the TMFEs had lower detection limits and better sensitivity. In addition to pure aqueous heavy metal solutions, the assay was also performed on mineralized rock samples, artificial blood plasma samples and samples of chicken embryo organs treated with cadmium. An artificial neural network was created to evaluate the concentrations of the mentioned heavy metals correctly in mixture samples and an excellent fit was observed (R2 = 0.9933).
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic. j.gumulec@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kudr
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic. j.gumulec@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hoai Viet
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 3058/10, CZ-616 00 Brno, Czech Republic. j.gumulec@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jaromir
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gumulec
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic. j.gumulec@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nejdl
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic. j.gumulec@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Blazkova
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic. j.gumulec@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Branislav
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ruttkay-Nedecky
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic. j.gumulec@gmail.com.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hynek
authors.affiliation: Karel Englis College, Sujanovo nam. 356/1, Brno CZ-602 00, Czech Republic. jindrak@email.cz.
authors.forename: Jindrich
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kynicky
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic. j.gumulec@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Vojtech
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic. kizek@sci.muni.cz.
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kizek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001331:Automation; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood; D002138:Calibration; D002645:Chickens; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D004777:Environment; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007477:Ions; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood; D008628:Mercury / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012371:Robotics; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007477:Ions; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D003300:Copper; D008628:Mercury; D015032:Zinc