Application of Copper Solid Amalgam Electrode for Determination of Fungicide Tebuconazole

Tebuconazole (Teb) as a systemic fungicide amounts a potential risk for environment even in very low concentrations. The voltammetric behavior of Teb was investigated using the newly developed mercury meniscus-modified copper solid amalgam electrode (inner diameter 1.5 mm). Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were utilized for these purposes. The reaction mechanism was investigated using CV and elimination voltammetry with linear scan (EVLS). The optimum conditions for DPV determination of Teb were found in Britton-Robinson buffer/methanol (1: 1, v/v) of pH 6.4, initial potential and accumulation potential E-in=E-acc=+400 mV vs. Ag/AgCl/3M KCl, scan rate 20 mV s(-1). Applying the prolonged accumulation time (60 s), the limit of detection 0.2 mu mol L-1 was reached. The applicability of the developed method for determination of Teb in two samples of real soil solutions was verified.