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.

项目概要 公众对整个饮用水供应系统的水质监测越来越关注，特别是 受最近发生的水灾的影响，例如密歇根州弗林特发生的水灾，造成了严重的健康问题 由于受污染的饮用水中铅含量不安全，给成千上万的儿童带来了问题。电流定量检测 水性铅的方法通常是基于实验室的，成本太高且耗时，不适合最终水 用户进行快速现场检测。该项目旨在研究手持设备实时、 现场检测自来水中的有毒铅。该设备集成了一种基于石墨烯-金的新型微型传感器芯片 纳米颗粒传感平台配有便携式数字信号计，可直接读出测试结果。该项目旨在 通过开发一种方法来满足对自来水中总溶解铅离子进行定量、实时、原位检测的需求 灵敏、特异、快速、便携且经济高效的原型手持设备，无需任何操作即可自行管理 特殊训练。 该项目的主要创新在于使用了具有优越传感性能（即高 灵敏度、出色的选择性以及实验室环境和现场环境下的快速响应）及其组合 传感器配有数字仪表，可在数十秒内直接显示测试结果。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并支持金） 用化学探针功能化的纳米颗粒），能够区分铅离子和其他水离子 （例如钙和镁）通过铅离子和专门选择的化学物质之间的特定耦合事件 金纳米颗粒表面上的探针（即谷胱甘肽）。该项目的具体研究目标是：（1）确定 pH值对传感器性能的影响，以便正确解释传感结果； (2) 建立模型 根据水中游离铅离子浓度的测量估算总溶解铅并实施该模型 在手持设备中报告水中总溶解铅浓度； (3) 研究潜在的干扰物种如何 自来水中的污染物（例如消毒副产物）会影响手持设备的传感行为并识别可能的 尽量减少不良干扰的策略。手持设备的技术和商业可行性 将确定相关技术的未来开发和商业化。 拟议的活动将提高传感可靠性和设备完整性，最大限度地实现商业化 设备的机会。该装置的推出，有利于保障公众饮水安全， 这种创新的传感技术可以对供水系统中的铅离子进行快速现场测试，特别是在 使用。该设备的框架还可以扩展，有可能作为构建传感网络的基础 整个饮用水系统的水质实时监测，提升公众饮水安全。