ABSTRACT
Duloxetine hydrochloride (DUL) is an antidepressant drug that is being increasingly consumed and so, it is classified as an emerging pollutant. As it is found at very low concentration in the environment, in this work, we investigated the electrochemical monitoring of surface waters for trace determination of DUL based on the use of cathodically pretreated boron-doped diamond electrode (CP-BDDE) coupled to differential pulse voltammetry. The antidepressant was determined in Britton-Robinson buffer solution at pH 7.0 and the current was linearly dependent to the concentration in the range of 0.030–0.333 µmol L−1 with a limit of detection of 5.87 nmol L−1. The precision, selectivity, and accuracy were evaluated, and the method was applied to the analysis of real lake, river, and tap water with an average recovery of 101%. The CP-BDDE proved to be an excellent electrochemical platform for trace DUL monitoring in surface waters.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Dr. Ieda S. Scarminio for the availability of the use of the spectrophotometer.
Disclosure statement
There are no conflicts to declare.