Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)
Electrochemical Detection and Determination of Lead Concentration in Lactuca Sativa Using the BEARS Device
Publication Date
2024
College
Sciences and Mathematics, College of
Department
Chemistry and Physics, Department of
BURS Faculty Advisor
Dr. Thom Spence
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
Electrochemical Detection and Determination of Lead Concentration in Lactuca Sativa Using the BEARS Device
Lauren Martinson, Dr. Thom Spence
Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Mathematics, Belmont University
The consumption of heavy metals, such as lead, has become a significant health concern in recent years, attributed to factors like weathering, volcanic eruptions, and agricultural practices. Lead contamination in agriculture has become widespread, stemming from polluted soil and wastewater. The ingestion of heavy metals poses a threat to various human body systems, from the nervous to the gastrointestinal system. There is a need for a sensitive, cost-effective, and mobile instrument or detection method. Electrochemical detection methods have demonstrated superior cost-effectiveness and mobility compared to the widely used atomic absorption spectroscopy technique. The Belmont Electrochemical Analysis Research System (BEARS) employs square wave stripping voltammetry to detect varying concentrations of heavy metals in a solution. In this study, lettuce plants were cultivated hydroponically in tap water, 40 ppm lead water, and 400 ppm lead water; each was then digested and adjusted to a pH of 4. The BEARS device was able to detect lead in the 40 ppm and 400 ppm plants. Standard addition was performed to verify the results. The findings further indicated that while a seed planted in 400 ppm lead-contaminated water would germinate, the resulting plant would not thrive. The utilization of a cost-effective and mobile device, such as BEARS, exhibits the potential to detect contamination in agriculture promptly, offering a valuable tool for addressing this issue. This research aimed to determine how much lead lactuca sativa would uptake.
Recommended Citation
Martinson, Lauren and Spence, Thom, "Electrochemical Detection and Determination of Lead Concentration in Lactuca Sativa Using the BEARS Device" (2024). Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS). 351.
https://repository.belmont.edu/burs/351
