Recent Trends in Biosensors for Environmental Quality Monitoring

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 22; no. 4; p. 1513
• Main Authors: Gavrilaș, Simona, Ursachi, Claudiu Ștefan, Perța-Crișan, Simona, Munteanu, Florentina-Daniela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15-02-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Biomimetics; biosensing; Biosensing Techniques; Biosensors; Chemical elements; Chemical vapor deposition; Composite materials; Contaminants; detection; DNA; Electrical measurement; emerging contaminants; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Environmental Pollution; Environmental quality; environmental quality monitoring; Enzymes; Food; Medical research; mimetic biosensors; PCB; Pesticides; Pollutants; Pollution monitoring; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Review; Selectivity; Trends; mimetic biosensors; biosensing; detection; environmental quality monitoring; emerging contaminants
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s22041513

The monitoring of environmental pollution requires fast, reliable, cost-effective and small devices. This need explains the recent trends in the development of biosensing devices for pollutant detection. The present review aims to summarize the newest trends regarding the use of biosensors to detect environmental contaminants. Enzyme, whole cell, antibody, aptamer, and DNA-based biosensors and biomimetic sensors are discussed. We summarize their applicability to the detection of various pollutants and mention their constructive characteristics. Several detection principles are used in biosensor design: amperometry, conductometry, luminescence, etc. They differ in terms of rapidity, sensitivity, profitability, and design. Each one is characterized by specific selectivity and detection limits depending on the sensitive element. Mimetic biosensors are slowly gaining attention from researchers and users due to their advantages compared with classical ones. Further studies are necessary for the development of robust biosensing devices that can successfully be used for the detection of pollutants from complex matrices without prior sample preparation.