An Asic-based System For Stripping Voltammetric Determination Of Trace Metals

The work presented here is part of an overall voltammetric design system with a silicon based disposable component for the determination of copper, cadmium, lead and zinc. Voltammetric (the measurement of current as a function of potential) methods of analysis water are attractive for determinations of trace metals. They offer a combination of simple low cost instrumentation with excellent sensitivity and detection limits, comparable to those obtainable with instruments cost orders of magnitude greater. The system consists of electrodes, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and software control. There is increasing pressure on industry and regulatory bodies to monitor industrial and domestic pollution. A particular concern is the contamination of water supplies with heavy metals. The aim of this work is to develop a method of heavy metal analysis using a device that can be manufactured by means that are compatible with microelectronics processes giving a low cost solution to trace metal analyses for water quality applications.