Estudo eletroquímico da trifluralina, adsorção em quitosana, interação com o biossensor dsDNA e toxicidade frente ao caramujo Biomphalaria glabatra

Abstract

The electrochemical behavior of the herbicide trifluralin (TRF), used in the weed control, was investigated in the present study by using a vitreous carbon electrode (VCE). The reduction mechanism as well as the interaction of this herbicide with the biopolymer chitosan was determined by electrochemical techniques through adsorption isotherms to evaluate the potential application of a chitosan-based biosensor to quantify it. The TRF electrochemical behavior in a VCE lead to two reduction peaks of diffusional nature related to the reduction of the two nitro group and an anodic wave correspondent to the oxidation of the group hydroxylamine generated in the cathodic sweep. A consumption of 7,75 F mol L-1 and the complete disappearance of the two reduction waves were observed during the preparative electrolysis, while the electron-Fenton reaction gave possibly dimeric structures due to the coupling between TRF radicals produced after hydroxyl radical attack. The TRF is adsorbed in chitosan by electrostatics interaction between the biopolymer ammonium ion and the dipoles in the herbicide molecule through a spontaneous and thermodynamically favorable process. The electrode modified with chitosan can be used to analyze TRF once the detection limit was ten times slower than that unmodified electrode. Some previous studies showed that TRF is toxic to the periwinkle Biomphalaria Glabrata and interacts with the DNA macromolecule.