Detection of low-level humic acid in water using room temperature-synthesized copper (I) oxide colloids
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Research Letter
Detection of low-level humic acid in water using room temperaturesynthesized copper (I) oxide colloids Olayemi J. Fakayode , Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit (NanoWS), College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET), University of South Africa (UNISA), 60 Christian De Wet Street, P.O. Box 2820, Roodepoort, Florida, South Africa Abolanle S. Adekunle , Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit (NanoWS), College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET), University of South Africa (UNISA), 60 Christian De Wet Street, P.O. Box 2820, Roodepoort, Florida, South Africa; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ibadan RoadIle-Ife, Osun 220005, Nigeria Thabo T.I. Nkambule , Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit (NanoWS), College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET), University of South Africa (UNISA), 60 Christian De Wet Street, P.O. Box 2820, Roodepoort, Florida, South Africa Address all correspondence to Olayemi J. Fakayode at [email protected] (Received 11 July 2019; accepted 5 September 2019)
Abstract A glucose-reduced, room temperature-synthesized colloidal Cu2O solution (CCS) was used for the first time to detect humic acid (HA), a carcinogen-promoting substance in aqueous solution. The CCS sensor was characterized using standard spectroscopy and microscopy techniques. The sensor evolved as a carboxylic acid-capped peach-pink solution after synthesis. The result of the interaction of the sensor with HA in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7) showed a detection limit of 1.5891 × 10−2 mg/L over a concentration range of 0.00–0.41 mg/L. This finding suggests that the sensor may be useful for monitoring low levels of HA in aqueous environments.
Introduction The availability of potable water for the sustainability of humans has become a global challenge.[1] While the shortage of water in the arid region motivates stringent use of water and various recycling strategies, many regions with the abundance of natural waters are daily threatened with pollution challenges. Humic acid (HA) represents a fraction of natural organic matter that contests the availability of suitable water for the production of potable water.[2] It emanates from the decomposition of biological materials found in water, soil, peat, or sediments.[1,3] Its heterogeneous structure exhibits many functional groups such as those of carboxylic acids, proteins, phenolics, alcohols, thiols, and amines. The presence of these groups enables HA to act as a complexing agent for heavy metals and an aggregation site for organic pollutants. In water treatment plants, HA interacts with chlorine during water disinfection forming carcinogenic trichloromethane.[4,5] Thus, continuous monitoring of levels of HA in water is highly essential to ensure sustainable health and environmental safety. Due to the complex nature of HA, characterization and quantification have involved the utility of chromatographic techniques coupled with ultraviolet–visible spectrophot
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