Simultaneous Trace Analysis of Lead and Cadmium in Drinking Water, Milk, and Honey Samples Through Modified Screen-Printed Electrode

A composite (N-rGO@ppy) of N-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) coated with polypyrrole (ppy) particles was successfully synthesized. The incorporation of N-rGO significantly mitigates the aggregation of ppy synthesized in situ, and the doped N atoms improve the conductivity of graphene oxide (GO), thereby enhancing N-rGO@ppy’s redox properties. Firstly, a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with N-rGO@ppy (N-rGO@ppy/GCE) was used in combination with a bismuth film and square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) for the simultaneous trace analysis of Pb2+and Cd2+. N-rGO@ppy/GCE exhibited distinct stripping peaks for Pb2+and Cd2+, with a linear range of 1 to 500 μg L−1. The limits of detection (LODs) were found to be 0.080 μg L−1for Pb2+and 0.029 μg L−1for Cd2+, both of which are significantly below the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Subsequently, the same electrochemical sensing strategy was adapted to a more portable screen-printed electrode (SPE) to accommodate the demand for in situ detection. The performance of N-rGO@ppy/SPE for analyzing Pb2+and Cd2+in actual samples, such as drinking water, milk, and honey, showed results consistent with those obtained from conventional graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS).