Direct Electrochemical Analysis in Seawater: Evaluation of Chloride and Bromide Detection

Chloride and bromide are two of the most abundant anions found in seawater, and knowledge of their concentrations is essential for environmental monitoring. However, the analysis of chloride and bromide in seawater is challenging due to the complex nature of the seawater matrix. From an electrochemical perspective, we investigate the suitability of three types of electrode (Au, glassy carbon and Pt) for the analysis of Cl⁻ and/or Br⁻ in seawater. With the understanding of their electrochemical behaviours in artificial seawater (ASW), optimal voltammetric procedures for their detection are developed. The results show that the Au electrode is unsuitable for use as a Cl⁻ and/or Br⁻ sensor due to its dissolution and passivation in ASW. The use of glassy carbon resulted in poorly defined chloride and bromide signals. Finally, platinum was found to be a good candidate for chloride detection in artificial seawater using square wave voltammetry, and the results obtained in natural seawater via electrochemical measurement were in good agreement with those obtained via ion chromatography. Platinum electrodes are also recommended for bromide analysis.