Biosensors for on-line water quality monitoring – a review

Abstract

Biosensors are analytical tools that convert a bio-signal into a measurable response. The applicability of these devices is rapidly expanding and their fabrication for continuous and real-time detection is gaining increased attention. Current research continues to further improve their features. Some of the major advantages of these devices are that they are portable and easy to operate, provide a rapid response, can be miniaturized, have a long-life cycle and a short response time and possess a high sensitivity, selectivity and specificity. Biosensors are more efficient and economical than conventional detection methods for a wide range of applications. This article is a tutorial review on the basic concepts of biosensors and their application in water quality monitoring, especially on-line detection systems. The following topics are discussed: (i) basic concepts of biosensors, (ii) biosensing elements and transducers, (iii) biosensor types and performance criteria and (iv) specific applications on water quality monitoring. In addition, this review highlights the various aspects of portable paper-based sensors for on-site detection of pesticides, heavy metals and bacteria in water. Online sensing technologies for water quality monitoring are preferable than offline/ onsite detecting technologies, considering that online systems provide real-time data.

A Review of Nanocomposite-Modified Electrochemical Sensors for Water Quality Monitoring

“…Most pesticides accumulate in food, water, and the environment rather than directly reaching the target species. This unintended accumulation presents a severe threat to human health [ 3 , 25 ]. The active compounds present in the pesticide formulations are harmful to human health as they can cause anxiety, depression, convulsions, severe neurological disorders and cancer [ 26 , 27 ].…”

Application of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) for Remediation of Emerging Pollutants - A Review

“…The demand for freshwater promotes the application of the biosensor to sense and monitor polluted water, as contaminated water introduces many pollutants. A biosensor is applied in water quality monitoring with the aim of toxic and bacteria detection [41]. The advent of CNTs has promoted the incorporation of CNTs into monitoring and sensing techniques due to their properties such as large specific surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, and superior mechanical strength [6].…”

“…The basic concept of a biosensor consists of two parts, which are the biological element and the transducer. The biological elements can be used to detect the presence of a substance while the transducer is the main stage of the biosensor which converts the information received from the biological elements into a signal to proceed to the next stage [41,42].…”

Modeling of Nitrification Kinetics in a Respirometric Biosensor under Suboptimal Conditions

“…Thus, biosensors based on immobilized bacteria provide the opportunity for real-time water quality monitoring. The application of microbial cells in water biosensing is a rapidly growing field [5][6][7][8]. Bacteria may be easily immobilized without loss of metabolic activity, providing durable and inexpensive sensing elements.…”