Potentialities and applications of advanced polarographic and voltammetric methods in environmental research and surveillance of toxic metals

The versatile and significant potentialities of advanced polarographic and voltammetric methods in environmental trace chemistry of toxic metals are outlined. A variety of examples from biological materials over food to problems in the marine and aquatic environment are discussed with respect to the requirements in sample pretreatment and voltammetric methology to attain satisfactory accuracy. Further examples emphasize the particular potentialities of the polarographic and voltammetric approach for speciation studies at the trace level on toxic metals dissolved in sea water and inland waters.