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Analytical Determination of Heavy Metals in Water Using Carbon-Based Materials

Summary

This review examines how special carbon-based materials can detect toxic metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury in water quickly and inexpensively. These sensors use electrochemical methods to identify metal contamination at extremely low levels, far below what could harm human health. Some newer sensors are self-powered and can show results with color changes visible to the naked eye, making them perfect for rapid testing in the field without expensive laboratory equipment.

Background

Heavy metal contamination of water resources presents a critical global environmental problem due to persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of pollutants like Pb, Cd, and Hg. Industrial discharge, mining activities, and agricultural runoff continuously introduce toxic metal ions into aquatic environments. Traditional laboratory-based analytical techniques such as ICP-MS and atomic spectroscopy require expensive instrumentation, controlled environments, and trained personnel, making them unsuitable for rapid field-based monitoring.

Objective

This review presents a critical analysis of carbon-based electrochemical sensing platforms for determination of heavy metal ions (Pb2+, Cd2+, and Hg2+) in water. The objective is to evaluate performance benchmarks, detection mechanisms, and practical applications of carbon nanomaterials including graphene, carbon nanotubes, and MXene for sensitive and portable on-site monitoring of water contamination.

Results

Detection limits for Pb2+ and Cd2+ using DPV on glassy carbon electrodes ranged from 0.4-1.2 µg/L, significantly below WHO (10 µg/L Pb, 3 µg/L Cd) and EPA limits. MXene-based platforms achieved Hg2+ detection with linear response ranges of 1-5 µg/L. Graphene derivatives achieved LODs of 2 ng/L and 3 ng/L for Pb2+ and Cd2+ respectively. Self-powered visual sensors demonstrated stable colorimetric signals without external power sources under optimized conditions.

Conclusion

Carbon-based electrochemical sensors offer sensitive, rapid, and portable alternatives to conventional heavy metal detection methods. MXene-integrated systems and self-powered bioelectrochemical platforms represent emerging technologies for field-deployable water monitoring. Key challenges include long-term electrode stability, selectivity under multi-ion interference, and device integration, with future directions toward portable multisensor systems for comprehensive water quality assessment.
  • Published in:Molecules,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 10.3390/molecules31010005, PMID: 41515301
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