Open AccessDetermination of Arsenic Content in Water Using a Silver Coordination Polymer
Author(s) -
Natasha D. Reich,
Atheghiem,
Sarah Nicholas,
Benjamín C. Bostick,
Michael G. Campbell
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acs environmental au
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2694-2518
DOI - 10.1021/acsenvironau.1c00036
Subject(s) - arsenic , polymer , groundwater , environmental chemistry , materials science , mercury (programming language) , contamination , environmental science , chemistry , nanotechnology , chemical engineering , computer science , metallurgy , composite material , geology , ecology , geotechnical engineering , engineering , biology , programming language
In this report, we describe a practical method for the colorimetric determination of dissolved inorganic arsenic content in water samples, using a silver coordination polymer as the sensing material. We demonstrate that a crystalline polymer framework can be used to stabilize silver(I) ions, greatly reducing both photosensitivity and water solubility, while still affording sufficient reactivity to detect arsenic in water samples at low parts-per-billion (ppb) levels. Test strips fabricated with the silver-based polymer are shown to be effective for field tests of groundwater under real-world operating conditions and display performance that is competitive with commercially available mercury-based test strips. Spectroscopic methods are also used to probe the reaction products formed, in order to better understand the sensing mechanism. Thus, our work provides the foundation for an improved field test that could be deployed to help manage groundwater usage in regions where arsenic contamination is problematic but sophisticated lab testing is not readily available.