Heavy Metal/Toxins Detection Using Electronic Tongues

Abstract

The growing concern for sustainability and environmental preservation has increased the demand for reliable, fast response, and low-cost devices to monitor the existence of heavy metals and toxins in water resources. An electronic tongue (e-tongue) is a multisensory array mostly based on electroanalytical methods and multivariate statistical techniques to facilitate information visualization in a qualitative and/or quantitative way. E-tongues are promising analytical devices having simple operation, fast response, low cost, easy integration with other systems (microfluidic, optical, etc) to enable miniaturization and provide a high sensitivity for measurements in complex liquid media, providing an interesting alternative to address many of the existing environmental monitoring challenges, specifically relevant emerging pollutants such as heavy metals and toxins.

Silver Nanoparticles as Colorimetric Sensors for Water Pollutants

“…In the last ten years nanotechnology has enabled the enhancement of low dimensional materials properties proponing their use in several application fields, such as sensors [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12], optics [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22], energy [23][24][25][26], catalysis [27,28] and biotechnology [29][30][31][32][33][34]. Among others the noble metal nanomaterials were developed by bottom up approach with various morphologies such as spheres, cubes, stars, flowers and wires, showing significant chemical-physical properties that allow to unique interactions with the environment [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42]. Researchers are amazed by the possibility to produce gold and silver nanoparticles with specific morphology and surface functionalization, leading to new properties [43][44][45].…”

Chemical Sensors for Heavy Metals/Toxin Detection

“…The review of Evtugyn and Hianik [2] describes the modern electrochemical biosensors based on immunological reactions and aptamers for the determination of mycotoxins, the most common contaminants negatively influencing human health. The contribution from the group of Prof. Riul, Jr. [3] represents a comprehensive review on the application of Electronic Tongue multisensory systems for the detection of heavy metals and toxins in water, soil, and food. Recently developed low molecular weight probes (LMFP) for fluorescence sensing of the Zn 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Hg 2+ metals upon their coordination are carefully reviewed in the contribution of Prof. Wallace group [4].…”

Highly sensitive determination of heavy metals in water prior to and after remediation using Citrofortunella Microcarpa

“…The detrimental effects of heavy metals on human health necessitate the development of sensors and methods which are cost-effective, highly sensitive, thoroughly selective, and have the advantage of portability. The traditional methods of heavy metal detection are high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), coupled with electrochemical- or UV–Vis-detectors, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, flame atomic absorption spectrometry, and wet chemical methods such as colorimetry, titrimetry, and gravimetry 12 – 24 . Most of these methods require expensive, state-of-the-art bulky equipment manned by trained staff which inhibits in situ measurements.…”