Evaluation and refinement of a field-portable drinking water toxicity sensor utilizing electric cell-substrate impedance sensing and a fluidic biochip

• Published in: Journal of applied toxicology Vol. 35; no. 7; pp. 701 - 708
• Main Authors: Widder, Mark W., Brennan, Linda M., Hanft, Elizabeth A., Schrock, Mary E., James, Ryan R., van der Schalie, William H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-07-2015; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Animals; Armed forces; Biosensing Techniques - instrumentation; Biosensing Techniques - methods; Biosensors; Drinking water; Drinking Water - chemistry; ECIS; Electric Impedance; Epithelial Cells - cytology; fluidic biochip; Gills - cytology; impedance; in vitro toxicology; Mobile Applications; Oncorhynchus mykiss; rainbow trout gill epithelial cells; RTgill-W1; Toxicity; toxicity sensor; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Water Quality; water toxicity; fluidic biochip; in vitro toxicology; water toxicity; RTgill-W1; toxicity sensor; ECIS; impedance; rainbow trout gill epithelial cells
• ISSN: 0260-437X; 1099-1263
• DOI: 10.1002/jat.3017

The US Army's need for a reliable and field‐portable drinking water toxicity sensor was the catalyst for the development and evaluation of an electric cell–substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) device. Water testing technologies currently available to soldiers in the field are analyte‐specific and have limited capabilities to detect broad‐based water toxicity. The ECIS sensor described here uses rainbow trout gill epithelial cells seeded on fluidic biochips to measure changes in impedance for the detection of possible chemical contamination of drinking water supplies. Chemicals selected for testing were chosen as representatives of a broad spectrum of toxic industrial compounds. Results of a US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)‐sponsored evaluation of the field portable device were similar to previously published US Army testing results of a laboratory‐based version of the same technology. Twelve of the 18 chemicals tested following USEPA Technology Testing and Evaluation Program procedures were detected by the ECIS sensor within 1 h at USEPA‐derived human lethal concentrations. To simplify field‐testing methods further, elimination of a procedural step that acclimated cells to serum‐free media streamlined the test process with only a slight loss of chemical sensitivity. For field use, the ECIS sensor will be used in conjunction with an enzyme‐based sensor that is responsive to carbamate and organophosphorus pesticides. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.