The rapid detection of in situ thiocyanate from cyanide harvested ornamental fish is of great importance to address the detrimental impact this type of fishing is having on reefs and their ecosystem. Thiocyanate is the primary metabolic byproduct of cyanide exposure by a fish released in situ. A rapid and accurate field test has been developed to address the presence of this thiocyanate which will be of great asset to marine law enforcement to curb this practice. This research has developed protocols to complex SCN- in situ from contaminated sea-water by aqueous soluble metalloporphyrins. (Co, Mn, Zn and Cu dications of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(p-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin). The aqueous complexed-porphyrins are concentrated by SPE (ODS C18), released into methanol, and directly injected onto the HPLC. An isocratic solvent mix of Acetone-Acetonitrile (40:60) flows through a HPLC column (Prevail C18 5μ) with in-line fluorescence detection (λex 416 nm, λem 650 nm). With a retention time of 7 minutes the presence or absence of the thiocyanate-metalloporphyrin complex can be assessed. The metalloporphyrin complexed species obtained from field samples were characterized and calibrated to authentic external standards by both UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy.

Rapid SPE in field HPLC detection of complexed thiocyanate by aqueous soluble metalloporphyrins from saline waters

255th National Meeting (2018)

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