Lead and copper concentrations in drinking water increase considerably on going from municipality reservoirs to the households sampled in Ribeirão Preto (SP-Brazil). Flushing of only 3 liters of water reduced metal concentrations by more than 50%. Relatively small changes in water pH rapidly affected corrosion processes in lead pipes, while water hardness appeared to have a long-term effect. This approach aims to encourage University teachers to use its content as a case study in disciplines of Instrumental Analytical Chemistry and consequently increase knowledge about drinking water contamination in locations where no public monitoring of trace metals is in place.

During short courses, 95 secondary school teachers from 49 state schools and 421 students from the Ribeirão Preto region (in Sao Paulo state, Brazil, with a population of 530,000) were asked to fill in different questionnaires. The points raised in the teacher's questionnaire were used as a guide to establish a continuous dialogue during the short courses. Most of the schools claimed to have some kind of environmental education (EE). Based on the questionnaires and dialogues we analyzed how the teachers' perceptions on EE reflect on the views secondary students hold about their own responsibility for preserving the environment. The role of universities in the preparation of chemistry teachers capable of effectively approaching EE is also discussed.

Este trabalho apresenta dois novos eletrodos de grafite modificados que foram preparados via polimerização da função fenólica, previamente funcionalizada por grupos azo (bipiridina e 2-metoxipiridina), que atuam como estruturas chaves para a ancoragem de ligantes de interesse. As sínteses dos monômeros BAP (4-([2,2’]bipiridinil-4-ilazo)-fenol) e PAPmetóxi (5-(4-hidroxifenilazo)piridin-2-metóxi) foram simples, deram bons rendimentos e os monômeros foram facilmente eletropolimerizados, levando à formação de eletrodos modificados (EM) química e mecanicamente estáveis. Em solução aquosa e em circuito aberto, o EM PAP-metóxi formou complexos estáveis com Cd, Cu e Pb, produzindo picos redox bem definidos, demonstrando o grande potencial deste eletrodo para futuras aplicações analíticas. O monômero BAP foi utilizado para produzir um complexo de rutênio (BAP-Ru) que foi eletropolimerizado entre +0.50 e +0.75V (vs. Ag/AgCl), permitindo que o rutênio permanecesse disponível para atuar como catalisador. O EM BAP-Ru oxidou seletivamente uma variedade de substratos orgânicos dando produtos com rendimentos próximos ou melhores que aqueles obtidos por catálise homogênea com complexos de rutênio similares, ou quando este tipo de catalisador é impregnado em pasta de carbono.

This work presents two new modified carbon electrodes which were prepared via the polymerization of a phenolic moiety previously functionalized with azo groups (bipyridine and 2-methoxypyridine) as key structures to anchor the desired ligands. The syntheses of BAP (4-([2,2’]-bipyridinyl-4-ylazo)-phenol) and PAPmethoxy (5-(4-hidroxyphenylazo) pyridin-2-methoxy) were simple to perform, gave good yields and the monomers were easily electropolymerized resulting in chemically and mechanically stable modified electrodes. The PAP-methoxy ME formed stable complexes with Cd, Cu and Pb in aqueous media at open circuit and produced well defined redox peaks, showing good potential for future analytical applications. The BAP monomer was used to produce a ruthenium complex (BAP-Ru) which was electropolymerized from +0.50 to +0.75V (vs. Ag/AgCl) to leave the ruthenium available to act as a catalyst. The BAP-Ru ME was able to oxidize a variety of organic substrates with good selectivity. The yields obtained were either similar to, or better than, those obtained by homogeneous catalysis using a similar ruthenium catalyst or when this type of catalyst is supported in a carbon paste electrode.

Probably one of the most difficult and challenging aspects of measuring trace metals in natural waters is to avoid contamination during sampling, manipulation and analysis. This work discusses how to avoid contamination using simple procedures, and considers alternative methods to purify deionised water and low grade reagents to enable accurate determination of trace metals in natural waters in a common laboratory. Measurements were performed by cathodic stripping voltammetry and copper was used as a model metal to test the procedures. It was possible to evaluate copper speciation in natural waters even when total dissolved copper concentration was as low as 1.5 nmol L-1. The methods' accuracy was confirmed by analysis of certified seawater.