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Electrochemical phosphate detection in oligotrophic seawater with a stand-alone plastic electrode


Author: Cristina Truzzi, Silvia Illuminati, Federico Girolametti, Federico Figueredo, Sabina Susmel, Anna Annibaldi
Source: Directory of Open Access Books
Publisher: Firenze University Press
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Description
The northern Adriatic Sea is a particular water system, in which the levels of nutrients are commonly low or unbalanced. In general, phosphate detection can be done with the classical molybdenum-blue method. However, the method cannot be used in oligotrophic seawater samples due to its low sensitivity and high interference problems. In this study, we present a new electrochemical method, based on the application of a plastic conductive electrode containing a molybdenum reagent embedded. The sensitivity for phosphate was high enough to detect this nutrient in oligotrophic seawater.