Development and validation of voltammetric method for determination of amoxicillin in river water.

Amoxicillin is an antibiotic that can accumulate in aquatic environments and lead to the development of resistant bacteria; thus, its determination is of great importance. In this study, a glassy carbon electrode modified with reduced graphene oxide and Nafion was used as a sensor in a square-wave voltammetry method for determination of amoxicillin in river water samples from Guarapuava city, Brazil. The method was validated, using parameters and statistical tools recommended by the validation guidelines, in the range of 1.8-5.4 µmol L-1 (r = 0.922 and R2 = 85.1%). The analytical curve was constructed using external standard calibration in pure electrolyte, since the matrix effect was not significant. Results of linear regression analysis, lack of fit test and analysis of the residual plots pointed that the linear regression was significant, without lack of fit of linear model and that the variances had homoscedastic distribution. Both coefficients of regression curve were significant and, thus, they were included in the regression equation: Response = 7.0 + 3.5CAMX. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.36 and 1.2 µmol L-1, respectively. The method was selective towards interferents such as humic acids and benzylpenicillin. The relative standard deviations for repeatability and intermediate precision were adequate according to the limits established in literature. The mean recoveries were statistically equal to those obtained through a comparative chromatography method, so, the accuracy of the method was also adequate. Therefore, the method can be applied to the voltammetric determination of amoxicillin in river water, affording reliable and consistent measurements.

Cancer immunosensor based on apo and holo transferrin binding.

An electrochemical immunosensor was developed for the determination of apo-Tf (non-iron-bound) and holo-Tf (iron-bound) using polyclonal antibody transferrin (anti-Tf) immobilized at an electrode surface as a biorecognition platform. The monitoring was based on the anti-Tf binding with both Tf forms which allows the detection of cancer cells due to the constant iron cycle and the overexpression of anti-Tf on the cancer cell surface. The immunosensor characterization was performed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which evaluated the impedimetric biorecognition of the antigens-antibody by the use of K4Fe(CN)6 redox group. The immunosensor was able to detect both forms of Tf in terms of charge transfer resistance (Rct). Analytical curves showed a limit of detection of 0.049 and 0.053 ng mL-1 for apo-Tf and holo-Tf, respectively. The immunosensor was applied to the detection of the two cancer cells A549 (lung carcinoma) and MCF-7 (breast carcinoma) and compared with BHK570, a healthy cell line. The impedimetric response of healthy cells differs significantly from that of the cancerous cells, as revealed by a Dunnett's test in 95% confidence level-ca. 102 cells mL-1-indicating the feasibility of the immunosensor to discriminate both types of cells. The indirect detection of anti-Tf based on apo-Tf and holo-Tf binding can be considered an advanced approach for cancer recognition. Graphical abstract.

Determination of triazine herbicides: development of an electroanalytical method utilizing a solid amalgam electrode that minimizes toxic waste residues, and a comparative study between voltammetric and chromatographic techniques.

The use of a copper solid amalgam electrode (CuSAE) for the analytical determination of triazine herbicides (atrazine and ametryne) instead of the conventional hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) is reported. The results obtained using electroanalytical methods utilizing each of these electrodes were also compared with those provided by the HPLC technique. The results indicated that the CuSAE electrode can be used to detect the herbicides studied, since the detection limits reached using the electrode (3.06 microg L-1 and 3.78 microg L-1 for atrazine and ametryne, respectively) are lower than the maximum values permitted by CONAMA (Brazilian National Council for the Environment) for wastewaters (50 microg L-1) and by the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency of the United States) in natural water samples (10.00 microg L-1). An electroanalytical methodology employing CuSAE and square wave voltammetry (SWV) was successfully applied to the determination of atrazine and ametryne in natural water samples, yielding good recoveries (70.30%-79.40%). This indicates that the CuSAE provides a convenient substitute for the HMDE, particularly since the CuSAE minimizes the toxic waste residues produced by the use of mercury in HDME-based analyses.

Carbendazim e o meio ambiente: degradação e toxidez / Carbendazim and the environment: degradation and toxicity

Este artigo apresenta breve revisão de literatura sobre o fungicida carbendazim, muito utilizado em culturas de frutas e vegetais no Brasil. Foram abordados, principalmente, a degradação (abiótica e biótica) e os efeitos tóxicos que o fungicida carbendazim promove aos animais e aos seres humanos. Devido ao uso intenso de carbendazim, esse fungicida tornou-se poluente muito persistente no solo e na água. Os estudos de degradação são importantes para o isolamento e caracterização de microorganismos capazes de degradar o fungicida, e também para o desenvolvimento de processos abióticos (fotodegradação) a serem utilizados no tratamento de águas e solo poluídos

Pesticidas: mecanismo de ação, degradação e toxidez / Pesticides: action mechanism, degradation and toxicity

Este artigo apresenta breve revisão sobre pesticidas muito utilizados no Brasil em culturas de soja, milho e cana-de-açúcar. Foram abordados o mecanismo de ação, a degradação e a toxidez dos herbicidas glifosato, pendimetalina e atrazina e dos inseticidas fenitrotion e fipronil. Verificou-se que o modo de ação desses pesticidas ocorre por meio da inibição de enzimas específicas como a enolpipuvil shikimato-3-fosfato sintase (glifosato0 e a colinesterase (fenitrotion), de proteínas como as tubulinas (pendimetalina), de receptores do sistema nervoso como o ácido gama aminibutírico (fipronil) e da inibição da fotossíntese (atrazina). Em relação à degradação, a rota mais importante para o desaparecimento dos herbicidas glifosato e atrazina e do inseticida fenitrotion é a biodegradação. Fipronil, moderadamente persistente no ambiente é degradado pela luz (fotodegradação). Para a pendimetalina, tanto os microorganismos quanto a luz são responsáveis pelo desaparecimento desse composto. A toxidez dos pesticidas varia de acordo com o grupo químico em que se enquadram, sendo o efeito tóxico mais agudo para os seres humanos e outros mamíferos apresentado pelo fenitrotion (organofosforado)