Baker, Priscilla G.L.Iwuoha, EmmanuelFuku, Xolile GodfreyDept. of ChemistryFaculty of Science2013-08-022024-05-092011/10/282011/10/282013-08-022024-05-092011https://hdl.handle.net/10566/14442Magister Scientiae - MScIn this work, an electrochemical method based on a cyt c biosensor has been developed, for the detection of selected arsenic and cyanide compounds. Boron Doped Diamond (BDD) electrode was used as a transducer, onto which cyt c was immobilised and used for direct determination of Prussian blue, potassium cyanide and arsenic trioxide by inhibition mechanism. The sensitivity as calculated from cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV), for each analyte in phosphate buffer (pH= 7) was found to be (1.087- 4.488 ×10-9 M) and the detection limits ranging from 0.0043- 9.1 μM. These values represent a big improvement over the current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.enCytochrome c (cyt c)Boron doped diamond (BDD)Prussian blue (PB)Arsenic trioxide (As)IncubationDrop coatingIntoxicationToxicityElectron-transport chainAsphyxiatesCyclic voltammetry (CV)Square wave voltammetry (SWV)Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)UV/vis spectroscopySubtractive Normalization Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (SNFTIR)ThesisUniversity of the Western Cape