Metal ion determination in environmental matrices using inhibition enzyme sensor: experimental comparison among different measurement and data processing methods.

A classical inhibition biosensor based on the glucose oxidase enzyme designed to determine zinc, lead, cadmium and mercury ions is described, and employed to evaluate each one of the heavy metal ions as well as to determine a 'pool' of metal ions in environmental aqueous matrices, i.e. river and sea waters. Experimental research was performed focusing on the operating procedures for measurement and calculation. To this end, two alternatives to the classical procedure are proposed and discussed to shorten analysis time but without reducing analytical performances.