Speciation of chromium using chronoamperometric biosensors based on screen-printed electrodes

Ecological effects, remediation, distribution, and sensing techniques of chromium

Chromium is detected in most ecosystems due to the increased anthropogenic activities in addition to that developed from natural pollution. Chromium contamination in the food chain results due to its persistent and non-degradable nature. The release of chromium in the ecosystem accretes and thereafter impacts different life forms, including humans, aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Leaching of chromium into the ground and surface water triggers several health ailments, such as dermatitis, eczematous skin, allergic reactions, mucous and skin membrane ulcerations, allergic asthmatic reactions, bronchial carcinoma and gastroenteritis. Physiological and biological treatments for the removal of chromium have been discussed in depth in the present communication. Adsorption and biological treatment methods are proven to be alternatives to chemical removal techniques in terms of cost-effectiveness and low sludge formation. Chromium sensing is an alternative approach for regular monitoring of chromium in different water bodies. This review intended to explore different classes of sensors for chromium monitoring. However, the spectrochemical methods are more sensitive in chromium ions sensing than electrochemical methods. Future study should focus on miniaturization for portability and on-site measurements without requiring a large instrument provides a good aspect for future research.

An overview of Structured Biosensors for Metal Ions Determination

The determination of metal ions is important for nutritional and toxicological assessment. Atomic spectrometric techniques are highly efficient for the determination of these species, but the high costs of acquisition and maintenance hinder the application of these techniques. Inexpensive alternatives for metallic element determination are based on dedicated biosensors. These devices mimic biological systems and convert biochemical processes into physical outputs and can be used for the sensitive and selective determination of chemical species such as cations. In this work, an overview of the proposed biosensors for metal ions determination was carried out considering the last 15 years of publications. Statistical data on the applications, response mechanisms, instrumentation designs, applications of nanomaterials, and multielement analysis are herein discussed.

Development of glucose oxidase-chitosan immobilized paper biosensor using screen-printed electrode for amperometric detection of Cr(VI) in water

Hexavalent chromium is a toxic heavy metal getting discharged into the environment and water bodies through various industrial processes. Conventional analysis methods call for expensive equipment and complicated sample pretreatment that made unsuitable for onsite detection. Paper is used as an enzyme immobilization platform because of its property to wick the liquid by capillary action; lightweight, cheap and can be easily patterned or cut according to the requirements for developing biosensor. In this study, enzyme immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) on filter paper were examined using three polysaccharides such as chitosan, sodium alginate and dextran for entrapment efficiency, activity and stability of the immobilized enzyme. Among the three, chitosan proved efficient for enzyme entrapment with about 90% efficiency at 0.3% (w/v) chitosan. The stability was checked after 1 week at 4 °C and room temperature, where the chitosan entrapped enzyme retained nearly 97% stability at 4 °C. Enzyme inhibition study of GOx and Cr(VI) was carried out using chronoamperometry shown uncompetitive type of inhibition. A paper-based electrochemical biosensor strip was developed by immobilizing GOx enzyme on filter paper using chitosan as an entrapping agent and associating it with a screen-printed carbon electrode for amperometric measurements. The linear range of detection was obtained as 0.05-1 ppm with the limit of detection as 0.05 ppm for Cr(VI), which is the standard permissible limit in potable water. The relative standard deviation (5.6%) indicates good reproducibility of the fabricated biosensor.

Chromium speciation using paper-based analytical devices by direct determination and with electromembrane microextraction

In this study, we developed and compared three different methods for chromium speciation in water samples using microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs). In all methods, detection was based on the complexation reaction of Cr(VI) with diphenylcarbazide on the μPADs. Cr(III) ions were oxidized to Cr(VI) by Ce(IV) prior to colorimetric detection on the μPADs. In the first method, oxidization of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) in the solution containing both trivalent and hexavalent chromium was performed using a batch procedure to obtain total chromium. A dual electromembrane extraction (DEME) technique for simultaneous preconcentration and extraction of chromium species and a single electromembrane extraction (SEME) for preconcentration and extraction of Cr(VI)/total chromium [quantified as Cr(VI) content after oxidation of Cr(III) ions to Cr(VI)] were used in the second and third methods, respectively. The electromembrane extraction was based on the electrokinetic migration of cationic Cr(III) and anionic Cr(VI) toward the cathode and anode, respectively, into the two different hollow fibres. Octanol-1 and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (DEHP) in octanol-1 (0.7% v/v) were the most suitable supported liquid membranes for extraction of Cr(VI) and Cr(III), respectively. Among these methods, SEME showed the lowest limits of detection for both analytes. Under optimized conditions, linear calibrations were obtained for Cr(III) from 3 to 30 μg L^-1 and for Cr(VI) from 3 to 70 μg L^-1. The detection limits were 1.0 μg L^-1 and 0.7 μg L^-1 for Cr(III) and Cr(VI), respectively. Our developed method was applied to analyse water samples spiked with different concentrations of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) at the parts-per-billion (ppb) level. The statistical evaluation showed that the proposed method agreed well with the validation method, i.e., inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES).

Poly(noradrenalin) based bi-enzyme biosensor for ultrasensitive multi-analyte determination

In order to realize the multi-analyte assays for physiological molecules and environmental contaminants, a bi-enzyme biosensor based on horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-catalyzed noradrenalin (NA) polymerization in the presence of H₂O₂ was fabricated for the first time and utilized in immobilizing HRP and glucose oxidase (GOx) simultaneously. The resultant bi-enzyme modified electrode was demonstrated to be efficient in monitoring multi-analyte (H₂O₂, Cr(III), glucose, and Cr(VI)). It was shown that the prepared PNA-HRP-GOx/Pt electrode exhibits a sensitivity (S) high up to 628.4 μA mM^-1 cm^-2 in the linear range (LR) of 0.50 μM ~ 0.42 mM and a S of 208.9 μA mM^-1 cm^-2 in the LR of 0.42 mM~3.5 mM in glucose sensing, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.08 μM observed; in Cr(VI) sensing a LOD of 0.20 nM and a LR of 0.50 ~ 6.0 nM were obtained. With the addition of polyaniline (PANI), the resultant PNA-HRP-GOx/PANI/Pt electrode potentiostated at - 0.20 V responded linearly to H₂O₂ concentration in 0.05 ~ 30.2 mM range, with linearly responses to Cr(III) concentration in the LR of 0.01 ~ 3.8 μM. Hence, amperometric biosensors with high S, low LOD and good anti-interference ability for detection of glucose, H₂O₂ and heavy metal ions (Cr(III) and Cr(VI)) were developed.

Carbon nanodots as a fluorescence sensor for rapid and sensitive detection of Cr(VI) and their multifunctional applications

In this work, carbon nanodots (CDs) were prepared via a green and convenient microwave assisted pyrolysis of ionic liquids (ILs) and ethylenediamine. It was found that the synthesized IL-based CDs (ILCDs) exhibited a superior selective sensitivity for Cr(VI). Photoluminescence (PL) properties of the ILCDs were applied to determine the concentration of Cr(VI), which showed a wide linear range and a low detection limit. We also received promising results by using the ILCDs for Cr(VI) detection in real samples. Moreover, the synthesized ILCDs can also work as a PL nanosensors to determine temperature and pH value in solution.

Utility of Ochrobactrum anthropi YC152 in a Microbial Fuel Cell as an Early Warning Device for Hexavalent Chromium Determination

Fast hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) determination is important for environmental risk and health-related considerations. We used a microbial fuel cell-based biosensor inoculated with a facultatively anaerobic, Cr(VI)-reducing, and exoelectrogenic Ochrobactrum anthropi YC152 to determine the Cr(VI) concentration in water. The results indicated that O. anthropi YC152 exhibited high adaptability to pH, temperature, salinity, and water quality under anaerobic conditions. The stable performance of the microbial fuel cell (MFC)-based biosensor indicated its potential as a reliable biosensor system. The MFC voltage decreased as the Cr(VI) concentration in the MFC increased. Two satisfactory linear relationships were observed between the Cr(VI) concentration and voltage output for various Cr(VI) concentration ranges (0.0125-0.3 mg/L and 0.3-5 mg/L). The MFC biosensor is a simple device that can accurately measure Cr(VI) concentrations in drinking water, groundwater, and electroplating wastewater in 45 min with low deviations (<10%). The use of the biosensor can help in preventing the violation of effluent regulations and the maximum allowable concentration of Cr(VI) in water. Thus, the developed MFC biosensor has potential as an early warning detection device for Cr(VI) determination even if O. anthropi YC152 is a possible opportunistic pathogen.

Polyaniline/graphene quantum dot-modified screen-printed carbon electrode for the rapid determination of Cr(VI) using stopped-flow analysis coupled with voltammetric technique

Polyaniline/graphene quantum dots (PANI/GQDs) were used to modify a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) in a flow-based system. A method for rapidly determining the Cr(VI) concentrations by using stopped-flow analysis has been developed using an Auto-Pret system coupled with linear-sweep voltammetry using the PANI/GQD-modified SPCE. The GQDs, synthesized in a botton-up manner from citric acid, were mixed with aniline monomer in an optimized ratio. The mixture was injected into an electrochemical flow cell in which electro-polymerization of the aniline monomer occurred. Under conditions optimized for determining Cr(VI), wide linearity was obtained in the range of 0.1-10 mg L(-1), with a detection limit of 0.097 mg L(-1). For a sample volume of 0.5 m L, the modified SPCE can be used continuously with a sample-throughput of more than 90 samples per hour. In addition, this proposed method was successfully applied to mineral water samples with acceptable accuracy, and the quantitative agreement was accomplished in deteriorated Cr-plating solutions with a standard traditional method for Cr(VI) detection.

Recent advances in biosensors based on enzyme inhibition

Enzyme inhibitors like drugs and pollutants are closely correlated to human and environmental health, thus their monitoring is of paramount importance in analytical chemistry. Enzymatic biosensors represent cost-effective, miniaturized and easy to use devices; particularly biosensors based on enzyme inhibition are useful analytical tools for fast screening and monitoring of inhibitors. The present review will highlight the research carried out in the last 9 years (2006-2014) on biosensors based on enzyme inhibition. We underpin the recent advances focused on the investigation in new theoretical approachs and in the evaluation of biosensor performances for reversible and irreversible inhibitors. The use of nanomaterials and microfluidic systems as well as the applications of the various biosensors in real samples is critically reviewed, demonstrating that such biosensors allow the development of useful devices for a fast and reliable alarm system.

Recent advances in electrochemical detection of toxic Cr(vi)

The recent achievements and future directions in electrochemical quantification of toxic hexavalent chromium were outlined.