INDIRECT CATHODIC-STRIPPING VOLTAMMETRIC DETERMINATION OF CEFTAZIDIMEAS A MERCURY SALT

At accumulation potentials close to +0.1 V at a hanging mercury drop e lectrode, ceftazidime is accumulated at pH 9.5, probably in a hydrolys ed or otherwise chemically altered form, in an anodic process to give an adsorbed mercury salt. The accumulation of this mercury salt allows the indirect cathodic-stripping voltammetric determination of ceftazi dime using the reduction peak of the mercury salt at -0.70 V. The high sensitivity of the method coupled with high sample dilution allows ce ftazidime to be determined in milk samples at the 28 mu g ml(-1) level without prior separation. In order to determine lower levels of cefta zidime in milk (ca. 10 ng ml(-1)) a separation process would be requir ed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.