1. Detection of Environmental
Pollutants Using
Biosensors: Future Trends
and Applications
Zenaida F. Mergal
PhD Biology Education

2. Objectives
Define and describe biosensors
Enumerate the different parts and types of
biosensors
List down and describe the first animal
sensors
Discuss a brief history of biosensors and
the latter compares of currently used
chemistry analysis
Outline the current and potential
application/s of biosensors

3. Introduction
Biosensors
 is a device that detects, transmits and records
information regarding a physiological or
biochemical change (D’Souza, 2001)
 Discovered by Leland C. Clark in 1962
 Has three parts: (1) biological detector
(2) transducer
(3) processing unit
(Maddalena, 2010)

4. Classification of Biosensors
Classification based on three schemes:
 As to the receptor type
An immunosensor, an antibody
 As to the physics of transduction process
Amphoteric sensor
 As to application
Medical Biosensor

5. First Animal Biosensors
Canary yellow
 old time ‘Coal Miners’ Biosensor
African clawed frog
 Detects earthquakes (as far as 74 km)
 Has melanophores, which allow them to
change color in the presence of bacterial
pathogens
Chinook Salmon
 Also has melanophores which rapidly detects
human pathogens

6. Brief History of Biosensors
1962 – Leland C. Clark first described a biosensor
as an amphoteric enzyme electrode for
glucose
1969 – first potentiometric biosensor
1970s– Ion Selective Field Effect Transistor, Fiber
Optic Sensor
1980s–first
1980s– Surface Plasmon Resonance
Immunosensor (SPR)
1990s – SPR based and handheld biosensors
Current – quantum dots, nanoparticles

7. Current Applications of Biosensors
Environmental Monitoring
 Genotoxic compounds
 Soil Contaminants (pesticides, heavy metals,
explosives)
 Water Pollutants
 Bioremediation
Other Important Applications and Trends
 Biomedical Applications (Diagnosis of
Diseases)
 Food Analysis

8. Current Applications of Biosensors
Environmental Monitoring
 Detection of Ecotoxicological substances
(Eggen, 2003)
 Monitoring of organic and inorganic pollutants
(Mazaz, 2006)
 In Situ Monitoring of environmental pollutants
(Shin, 2010)
 Wireless biosensor (Endo, 2010)

9. Current Applications of Biosensors
Environmental Monitoring (cont’n)
 Microbiological/Bacterial Biosensors
(Belchor, 2001 and Jantra, 2005)
 Luminiscent Emitting Bacteria (Aveni, 2000)
 Cyanobacteria, Yeast and Fungi (Belkin,
2003)

10. Current Applications of Biosensors
Environmental Monitoring (cont’n)
1. Genotoxic compounds detection
Detection of DNA damaging or genotoxic
compounds using DNA biosensor (Bagni, 2005)
3. Soil Contaminants identification
Heavy Metals (Solanki, 2009)
 Usually released thru industrial wastes
 Includes Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Lead,
Mercury
 Detected using Plasmon Resonance-based DNA
biosensor

11. Current Applications of Biosensors
2. Soil Contaminants identification (cont’n)
 Toxic pesticides and heavy metals (Rao, 2007)
 Heavy metals mobility and bioavailability (Almendras,
2009)
Included Arsenic, Copper, Iron, Lead and Zinc
Compared chemical sequential extraction against biomet
sensors
 Pesticides detection (Förster, 2008)
Employed high affinity biosensors and antibodes
(recognition)
Can detect and discriminate different explosives

12. Current Applications of Biosensors
3. Water Pollutants
 Analysis of Mineral water (Deryabin, 2008)
Used bioluminiscent detection system
 Determination of Iron Loading (Poiata, 2005)
Employed Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Principle of testing involved uptake of iron by
bacteria and emission of lumniscence
 Bioactive Organic Compounds Detection
(Tschmelak, 2005)
Tested water for presence of certain hormones
such as testosterone, progesterone, estrogen,
propanil, etc.

13. Current Applications of Biosensors
3. Water Pollutants
 Freshwater Toxicity (Durrieu, 2004)
Tested water for presence of certain hormones
such as testosterone, progesterone, estrogen,
propanil, etc.
Made use of two algal biosensors
 Biological Oxygen Demand Determination
(Ponomarevaa, 2011)
Used microbial biosensors
 Oil Spills (Houlton, 2011)
Made use of new antibody-based biosensor

14. Current Applications of Biosensors
4. Bioremediation
 Toxicity monitoring (Souxsie, 2005)
Prevent toxic shock
 Marine pollutants (Houlton, 2011)
Track and detect oil spills to arrest spread

15. Current Applications of Biosensors
Other Important Applications and
Trends
1. Biomedical Applications
 Diagnosis of Diseases (Endo, 2010)
 Monitoring of Blood Glucose
 Multi-signal digital biosensors (Wang,
2010)
 Tested glucose, lactate, norepinephrine
 Malarial Screening (Potipitak, 2011)
 Can diagnose malaria due to P. falciparum
 Can determine genotype of malarial species

16. Current Applications of Biosensors
Other Important Applications and
Trends
1. Food Analysis
 Detection of Environmental and Food
Contaminants (Baeumner, 2003)
 Whole Cell biosensors (Michelini, 2006)
 Detects genotoxic compounds, xenobiotics,
endocrine disrupting compounds
 Mycotoxin detection and other
contaminants (Tudorache, 2007)
 Also detected lactic acid, ethanol, etc.

17. Biosensor Trends
Conclusions:
Areas of improvement
New materials for biosensor production
(Wiles, 2005)
DNA (Potipak, 2011) and nucleic acid
biosensors (Fe, 2011)
Factors affecting Biosensors
 Sensitivity, Efficiency, and Reliability
(Deryabin & Alexshina, 2008)

18. Biosensor Trends
Conclusion (cont’n)
Factors affecting Biosensors (cont’n)
 Presence of salt, cations and anions
(Hassibi, 2007)
 Enhance of Biosensor Performance
Acridine Orange for TYR-immobilized CF-based
flow biosensor (Wang, 2011)

19. Final Thoughts
With these technological advancements,
the only hindrance towards development
lies on current policies and financial
restrictions. World Health Organization as
well as Environmental Protection Agencies
of various countries should take full
advantage of these biosensors in
environmental monitoring, detection of
various kinds of pollutants, bioremediation
and other medical applications.

20. Final Thoughts
However, the use of such devices may be
subjected to abuse, therefore appropriate
laws, policies, rules and regulations
should be in place prior to full launching of
researches associated with clinical trials
and ecosystem element participation. In
the end, disposal of used or consumed
biosensors may also pose significant
ecological and health risk if not properly
done.