Determination of fenitrothion in water using a voltammetric sensor based on a polymer-modified glassy carbon electrode

A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with poly(4-amino-3-hydroxynaphthalene sulfonic acid) (poly-AHNSA) was used for the selective and sensitive determination of fenitrothion (FT) organophosphorus pesticide in water. The electrochemical behavior of FT at the bare GCE and the poly-AHNSA/GCE were compared using cyclic voltammetry. Enhanced peak current response and shift to a lower potential at the polymer-modified electrode indicated the electrocatalytic activity of the polymer film towards FT. Under optimized solution and method parameters, the adsorptive stripping square wave voltammetric reductive peak current of FT was linear to FT concentration in the range of 0.001 to 6.6 × 10–6 M, and the LOD obtained (3δ/m) was 7.95 × 10–10 M. Recoveries in the range 96–98% of spiked FT in tap water and reproducible results with RSD of 2.6% (n = 5) were obtained, indicating the potential applicability of the method for the determination of trace levels of FT in environmental samples.