A portable lab-on-a-chip system for gold-nanoparticle-based colorimetric detection of metal ions in water

A portable lab-on-a-chip system for gold-nanoparticle-based colorimetric detection of metal ions in water

Heavy metal ions released into various water systems have a severe impact on the environment and human beings, and excess exposure to toxic metal ions through drinking water poses high risks to human health and causes life-threatening diseases. Thus, there is high demand for the development of a rap...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biomicrofluidics 2014-09, Vol.8 (5), p.052107
Main Authors: Zhao, Chen, Zhong, Guowei, Kim, Da-Eun, Liu, Jinxia, Liu, Xinyu
Format: Article
Language:eng
Subjects:
Aluminum
Colorimetry
Drinking water
Economic analysis
Environmental impact
Environmental monitoring
Gold
Heavy metals
Ions
Lead
Metal ions
Nanoparticles
Portability
SPECIAL TOPIC: SELECTED PAPERS FROM THE ADVANCES IN MICROFLUIDICS AND NANOFLUIDICS 2014 CONFERENCE IN HONOR OF PROFESSOR HSUEH-CHIA CHANG'S 60TH BIRTHDAY
Spectrometers
Water quality
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Summary:Heavy metal ions released into various water systems have a severe impact on the environment and human beings, and excess exposure to toxic metal ions through drinking water poses high risks to human health and causes life-threatening diseases. Thus, there is high demand for the development of a rapid, low-cost, and sensitive method for detection of metal ions in water. We present a portable analytical system for colorimetric detection of lead (Pb(2+)) and aluminum (Al(3+)) ions in water based on gold nanoparticle probes and lab-on-a-chip instrumentation. The colorimetric detection of metal ions is conducted via single-step assays with low limits of detection (LODs) and high selectivity. We design a custom-made microwell plate and a handheld colorimetric reader for implementing the assays and quantifying the signal readout. The calibration experiments demonstrate that this portable system provides LODs of 30 ppb for Pb(2+) and 89 ppb for Al(3+), both comparable to bench-top analytical spectrometers. It promises an effective platform for metal ion analysis in a more economical and convenient way, which is particularly useful for water quality monitoring in field and resource-poor settings.
ISSN:1932-1058
1932-1058