Graphene-based Nanosensor Device for Rapid, Onsite Detection of Dissolved Lead in Tap Water

基于石墨烯的纳米传感器装置，用于快速现场检测自来水中溶解的铅

• 批准号: 9409977
• 负责人: Ganhua Lu
• 金额: $ 19.46万
• 依托单位: NANOAFFIX SCIENCE, LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-08-15 至 2019-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9409977
• 关键词: Address; Affect; Aging; Bacteria; Behavior; Biological; Brain; Calcium; Cations; Chemicals; Child; Communication; Complex; Coupling; Data; Detection; Development; Devices; Disinfection; Ensure; Environment; Event; Future; Glutathione; Gold; Health; Health Benefit; Heart; Heavy Metals; Household; Human body; Hybrids; Immobilization; In Situ; Intake; Ions; Kidney; Label; Laboratories; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Lead levels; Legal patent; Magnesium; Measurement; Mercury; Methods; Michigan; Modeling; Monitor; Nanostructures; Organ; Oxides; Performance; Phase; Plants; Plumbing; Poisoning; Preparation; Privatization; Process; Proteins; Public Health; Reporting; Research; Risk; Safety; Sampling; Schools; Self-Administered; Sensitivity and Specificity; Signal Transduction; Small Business Technology Transfer Research; Source; Structure; Surface; System; Technology; Test Result; Testing; Time; Training; United States Environmental Protection Agency; Water; Water Supply; Wireless Technology; Wisconsin; aqueous; base; bone; commercialization; contaminated drinking water; cost; cost effective; digital; drinking water; graphene; handheld equipment; improved; innovation; lead concentration; lead contamination; lead exposure; lead ion; meter; nanoparticle; nanosensors; novel; operation; portability; prototype; public drinking; response; sensor; soft tissue; stem; water quality; water testing; water treatment

PROJECT SUMMARY There is an increasing public concern about monitoring water quality in the entire drinking water supply system, especially at the point of use, spurred by recent water catastrophes, such as the one in Flint, Michigan that has caused severe health issues for thousands of children due to the unsafe level of lead in contaminated drinking water. Current quantitative detection methods for aqueous lead are often laboratory-based and are too expensive and time-consuming, unsuitable for end water users to perform fast and onsite detection. This project aims to investigate the feasibility of a handheld device for real-time, onsite detection of toxic lead in tap water. The device integrates a novel micro-sized sensor chip built upon a graphene-gold nanoparticle sensing platform with a portable digital signal meter for direct readout of testing results. This project intends to address the need for quantitative, real-time, in situ detection of total dissolved lead ions in tap water by developing a sensitive, specific, fast, portable, and cost-effective prototype handheld device that can be self-administered without any special training. Major innovations of the project lie in the use of an aqueous sensing platform with superior sensing performance (i.e., high sensitivity, excellent selectivity, and fast response under laboratory environment and in field settings) and the combination of the sensor with a digital meter for direct display of testing results in tens of seconds. The sensing platform consists of a multifunctional hybrid nanostructure (i.e., graphene as the sensing signal transduction channel and the support for gold nanoparticles functionalized with chemical probes), which is capable of differentiating lead ions from other aqueous ions (e.g., calcium and magnesium) through specific coupling events between the lead ion and the specially chosen chemical probe (i.e., glutathione) on the gold nanoparticle surface. Specific research aims of the project are to: (1) Determine the influence of pH value on the sensor performance so that sensing results can be interpreted properly; (2) Develop a model to estimate the total dissolved lead based on the measurement of free lead ion concentration in water and implement this model in the handheld device for reporting total dissolved lead concentration in water; (3) Study how potential interfering species in tap water (e.g., disinfection by-products) affect the sensing behavior of the handheld device and to identify possible strategies to minimize the undesirable interference. The technical and commercial feasibility of the handheld device and associated technology will be determined for future development and commercialization. The proposed activities will improve the sensing reliability and device integrity, maximizing the commercialization opportunities of the device. The availability of the device contributes to safeguarding the public drinking water safety, as this innovative sensing technology permits fast, onsite test of lead ions in water supply systems, particularly at the point of use. The framework of the device is also expandable with the potential to serve as the basis to build a sensing network for real-time water quality monitoring of the entire drinking water system, enhancing the public drinking water safety.

项目摘要 公众对监测整个饮用水供应系统的水质越来越关注，尤其是 在使用时，最近的水灾难刺激了，例如密歇根州弗林特的灾难，导致了严重的健康状况 由于受污染的饮用水的不安全铅水平，成千上万的儿童问题。电流定量检测 水铅的方法通常是基于实验室的，太昂贵且耗时，不适合最终水 用户可以执行快速和现场检测。该项目旨在调查手持设备实时的可行性， 自来水中有毒铅的现场检测。该设备集成了一种新型的微型传感器芯片 带有便携式数字信号计的纳米颗粒传感平台，可直接读取测试结果。这个项目打算 为了满足对自来水中总溶解的铅离子的原位检测的必要性 敏感，特定，快速，便携式和具有成本效益的原型手持设备，可以自我管理而无需任何任何 特殊培训。 该项目的主要创新在于使用具有出色传感性能的水性传感平台（即高 在实验室环境和现场设置下的灵敏度，出色的选择性和快速响应）和组合 具有数字仪表以直接显示测试的传感器的传感器会导致数十秒钟。传感平台由 多功能混合纳米结构（即石墨烯作为传感信号转导通道和对金的支持 用化学探针官能化的纳米颗粒能够区分铅离子与其他水离子 （例如，钙和镁）通过铅离子和特殊选择的化学物质之间的特定耦合事件 探针（即谷胱甘肽）在金纳米颗粒表面上。该项目的具体研究目的是：（1）确定 pH值对传感器性能的影响，以便可以正确解释传感结果； （2）开发一个模型 根据水中的游离铅离子浓度的测量，估计溶解的铅并实施该模型 在用于报告水中溶解的铅浓度的手持装置中； （3）研究潜在干扰物种 在自来水中（例如，消毒副产品）会影响手持设备的传感行为，并确定可能 最小化不良干扰的策略。手持设备的技术和商业可行性以及 相关技术将确定未来的开发和商业化。 拟议的活动将提高感应可靠性和设备完整性，最大化商业化 设备的机会。该设备的可用性有助于保护公共饮用水安全，因为 这种创新的传感技术允许对供水系统中的铅离子进行快速的现场测试，尤其是在 使用。该设备的框架也可以扩展，有可能作为建立传感网络的基础 对整个饮用水系统的实时水质监测，增强公共饮用水安全。