Desenvolvimento de equipamento de espectrofotometria UV-VIS para a análise de águas superficiais e subterrâneas baseado na química analítica branca.

Abstract

Various environmental approaches for chemical analysis laboratories are proposed from time to time, such as Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) and White Analytical Chemistry (WAC). They aim to reduce waste generation, decrease reagent toxicity, optimize operational time through on-site analyses, and minimize energy consumption. These approaches are in accordance with Sustainable Development (SD); however, new environmental proposals can also be considered. Therefore, this research proposes not only to align laboratory environmental approaches with the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) perspective, which is widely used in organizational frameworks, but also to explore additional possibilities. The development of a low-cost ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis) for the analysis of surface and groundwater samples, designed entirely with consideration of the principles of laboratory environmental approaches. As a result, the equipment demonstrated satisfactory results in the analysis of certain chemical species, particularly in the visible spectrum, when compared to the reference equipment and data reported in the literature. Analytical curves, regression models, the Limit of Detection (LOD), and the Limit of Quantification (LOQ) were compared between the devices. However, in the ultraviolet spectrum, due to the focus on testing samples directly in the field without any filtration, the performance was not satisfactory. From the results found, the determination of iron stands out. The recovery test on the reference equipment showed a value of 3.23 mg L-1, while on the developed equipment it was 3.08 mg L-1. For the determination of phosphate, the LOD and LOQ on the reference equipment were 0.13 and 0.24 mg L-1, respectively, and on the developed equipment, they were 0.10 and 0.25 mg L-1, respectively. Finally, the device was evaluated using the RGB 12 methodology (an algorithm based on the 12 WAC principles), which is currently more aligned with the corporate ESG perspective.