Sensing of formetanate pesticide in fruits with a boron-doped diamond electrode

This study describes the development of a simple and accurate methodology for carbamate pesticide formetanate (FMT) analysis in fruits based on the use of a boron-diamond doped electrode (BDDE) cathodically pretreated and on the forward component of the current of square-wave voltammetry (SWV). FMT exhibits a well-defined irreversible oxidation process, which reaction mechanism is diffusion-controlled, involves the participation of one electron and is influenced by the electrolyte pH. However, protonation does not participate in the rate-determining step in the redox process. The optimum experimental and voltammetric conditions were pH 7.0 (0.04 mol L−1 Britton-Robinson buffer), pulse potential frequency of 20 s−1, amplitude of the pulse of 25 mV, and height of the potential step of 3 mV. Under the optimum conditions, calibration curve was linear from 4.98 × 10−7 to 1.70 × 10−5 mol L−1 FMT with a limit of detection of 3.7 × 10−7 mol L−1. FMT sensing was performed in different fruits (mango and grape). Recoveries ranged from 95.2 ± 2.8 to 104.0 ± 3.5% for mango and 96.5 ± 2.5 to 105.2 ± 3.5% for grape proving the accuracy and precision of the electroanalytical methodology. The attained data validated the applicability of the developed approach for FMT quantification in fruits.