Taking part of the lab to the sample: On-site electrodeposition of Pb followed by measurement in a lab using electrothermal, near-torch vaporization sample introduction and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry

Design and development of a portable resistive sensor based on α-MnO2 /GQD nanocomposites for trace quantification of Pb(II) in water

The occurrence of heavy metal ions in food chain is appearing to be a major problem for mankind. The traces of heavy metals, especially Pb(II) ions present in water bodies remains undetected, untreated, and it remains in the food cycle causing serious health hazards for human and livestock. The consumption of Pb(II) ions may lead to serious medical complications including multiple organ failure which can be fatal. The conventional methods of heavy metal detection are costly, time-consuming and require laboratory space. There is an immediate need to develop a cost-effective and portable sensing system which can easily be used by the common man without any technical knowhow. A portable resistive device with miniaturized electronics is developed with microfluidic well and α-MnO2 /GQD nanocomposites as a sensing material for the sensitive detection of Pb(II). α-MnO2 /GQD nanocomposites which can be easily integrated with the miniaturized electronics for real-time on-field applications. The proposed sensor exhibited a tremendous potential to be integrated with conventional water purification appliances (household and commercial) to give an indication of safety index for the drinking water. The developed portable sensor required low sample volume (200 µL) and was assessed within the Pb(II) concentration range of 0.001 nM to 1 uM. The Limit of Detection (LoD) and sensitivity was calculated to be 0.81 nM and 1.05 kΩ/nM/mm2 , and was validated with the commercial impedance analyser. The shelf-life of the portable sensor was found to be ∼45 days.

Analytical Methodologies for Agrometallomics: A Critical Review

Agrometallomics, as an independent interdiscipline, is first defined and described in this review. Metallic elements widely exist in agricultural plants, animals and edible fungi, seed, fertilizer, pesticide, feedstuff, as well as the agricultural environment and ecology, and even functional and pathogenic microorganisms. So, the agrometallome plays a vital role in molecular and organismic mechanisms like environmetallomics, metabolomics, proteomics, lipidomics, glycomics, immunomics, genomics, etc. To further reveal the inner and mutual mechanism of the agrometallome, comprehensive and systematic methodologies for the analysis of beneficial and toxic metals are indispensable to investigate elemental existence, concentration, distribution, speciation, and forms in agricultural lives and media. Based on agrometallomics, this review summarizes and discusses the advanced technical progress and future perspectives of metallic analytical approaches, which are categorized into ultrasensitive and high-throughput analysis, elemental speciation and state analysis, and spatial- and microanalysis. Furthermore, the progress of agrometallomic innovativeness greatly depends on the innovative development of modern metallic analysis approaches including, but not limited to, high sensitivity, elemental coverage, and anti-interference; high-resolution isotopic analysis; solid sampling and nondestructive analysis; metal chemical species and metal forms, associated molecular clusters, and macromolecular complexes analysis; and metal-related particles or metal within the microsize and even single cell or subcellular analysis.

An improved structure-switch aptamer-based fluorescent Pb2+ biosensor utilizing the binding induced quenching of AMT to G-quadruplex

An improved aptamer-based fluorescent Pb²⁺ biosensor utilizing the binding induced quenching of AMT to G-quadruplex has been rationally designed with a LOD of 3.6 nM. The utility of the developed biosensor was demonstrated by the successful detection of Pb²⁺ in real complex clinical samples with satisfactory recovery and good reproducibility.

Directed evolution of a transcription factor PbrR to improve lead selectivity and reduce zinc interference through dual selection

Directed evolution has been proven as a powerful tool for developing proteins and strains with novel or enhanced features. In this study, a dual selection system was designed to tune the binding specificity of a transcription factor to a particular ligand with the ampicillin resistance gene amp (ON selection) as the positive selection marker and the levansucrase gene sacB (OFF selection) as the negative selection marker. It was applied to the lead responsive transcription factor PbrR in a whole-cell lead biosensor previously constructed in our lab (Jia et al. in Fems Microbiol Lett 365:fny157, 2018). After multiple rounds of ON–OFF selection, two mutants with higher specificity for lead were selected. Structural analysis revealed that the mutation C134 located on the metal-binding loop at the C-terminal of PbrR is likely associated with the enhanced binding to both lead and cadmium. The double mutations D64A and L68S close to the metal-binding residue C79 may lead to the reduced binding specificity toward zinc ions. This dual selection system can be applied to engineer the specificity of other transcription factors and provide fine-tuned tools to synthetic biology.

Colorimetric and SERS dual-mode detection of lead Ions based on Au-Ag core-shell nanospheres: featuring quick screening with ultra-high sensitivity

A novel strategy for colorimetric and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) dual-mode sensing of the lead ions (Pb²⁺) was established based on gluconate ion (Gluc) modified and 2-Naphthalenethiol (2-NT) tagged Au-Ag core-shell nanoparticles (NPs). Due to the complex formation between adsorbed Gluc and Pb²⁺, the addition of Pb²⁺ can induce the aggregation of Gluc/2-NT@Au@Ag NPs. Correspondingly, the aggregated Gluc/2-NT@Au@Ag NPs caused a significant difference in the color and SERS intensity. As a result, such Gluc/2-NT@Au@Ag NPs can achieve the sensing of Pb²⁺ using both colorimetric and SERS signals as the indicator, which features with wide response range from 10^-11 to 10^-5 M, rapid screening and high sensitivity (with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.185 pM). Furthermore, such dual-mode sensor was demonstrated not to be responsive to other cations, and facilitate the sensing of real samples in practical environment. With rapid screening ability and outstanding sensitivity, we anticipate that this method would holding great potential for the applications in environmental monitoring.

A dual-responsive biosensor for blood lead detection

Simple and accurate detection of trace heavy metals in blood is very important. A novel dual-responsive electrochemical/fluorescent biosensor based on magnetic hyperbranched polyamide with heparin modification (MHPAM-H) for blood lead detection has been successfully developed. Upon conjugated with blood lead ions, dual-biosensor could not only display electrochemical signal but also fluorescence signal owing to the enriched amino groups, cavity structure, and good fluorescence properties of HPAM. Blood biocompatibility, construction of the dual-responsive biosensor, electrochemical/fluorescent detection of lead ions in water phase and blood condition, selectivity and stability of the dual-responsive biosensor were investigated in detail. The proposed dual-responsive biosensor displays good linear relationship (1.5 pM- 4.8 × 10³ pM for electrochemical detection and 0.5 pM-4.8 × 10³ pM for fluorescent detection) with low detection limit (4.4 pM for electrochemical detection and 1.0 pM for fluorescent detection) for blood lead, providing potential application for blood lead detection in the future.

Mercaptopropionic acid-capped Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots as a probe for selective room-temperature phosphorescence detection of Pb2+ in water

A simple, sensitive and selective phosphorescence method for rapid detection of Pb²⁺ in water based on Mn-doped ZnS QDs.

Glutathione-capped Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots as a room-temperature phosphorescence sensor for the detection of Pb(2+) ions

The room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) of glutathione-capped Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots (GSH-Mn-ZnS QDs) was effectively quenched by the addition of Pb(2+). A simple and sensitive RTP sensor for Pb(2+) detection based on the quenching effect was developed. Under the optimal conditions, good linear correlations were obtained for Pb(2+) over a concentration range from 1.0 to 100μg·L(-1), and the detection limit was 0.45μg·L(-1). The established method has been successfully applied for the determination of Pb(2+) in real water samples without complicated sample pretreatment with the recoveries in the range of 95.4%-104.0%.

Wireless Data Acquisition of Transient Signals for Mobile Spectrometry Applications

Wireless data acquisition using smartphones or handhelds offers increased mobility, it provides reduced size and weight, it has low electrical power requirements, and (in some cases) it has an ability to access the internet. Thus, it is well suited for mobile spectrometry applications using miniaturized, field-portable spectrometers, or detectors for chemical analysis in the field (i.e., on-site). There are four main wireless communications standards that can be used for wireless data acquisition, namely ZigBee, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and UWB (ultra-wide band). These are briefly reviewed and are evaluated for applicability to data acquisition of transient signals (i.e., time-domain) in the field (i.e., on-site) from a miniaturized, field-portable photomultiplier tube detector and from a photodiode array detector installed in a miniaturized, field-portable fiber optic spectrometer. These are two of the most widely used detectors for optical measurements in the ultraviolet-visible range of the spectrum. A miniaturized, 3D-printed, battery-operated microplasma-on-a-chip was used for generation of transient optical emission signals. Elemental analysis from liquid microsamples, a microplasma, and a handheld or a smartphone will be used as examples. Development and potential applicability of wireless data acquisition of transient optical emission signals for taking part of the lab to the sample types of mobile, field-portable spectrometry applications will be discussed. The examples presented are drawn from past and ongoing work in the authors' laboratory. A handheld or a smartphone were used as the mobile computing devices of choice.

Ultrasensitive, Specific, Recyclable, and Reproducible Detection of Lead Ions in Real Systems through a Polyadenine-Assisted, Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Silicon Chip

It is of great significance to accurately and reliably detect trace lead(II) (Pb(2+)) ions, preferably at sub-nM level due to the possible long-term accumulation of Pb(2+) in the human body, which may cause serious threats to human health. However, a suitable Pb(2+) sensor meeting the demands is still scanty. Herein, we develop a polyadenine-assisted, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) silicon chip (0.5 cm × 0.5 cm) composed of core (Ag)-satellite (Au) nanoparticles (Ag-Au NPs)-decorated silicon wafers (Ag-Au NPs@Si) for high-performance Pb(2+) detection. Typically, strong SERS signals could be measured when DNAzyme conjugated on the SERS silicon chip is specifically activated by Pb(2+), cleaving the substrate strand into two free DNA strands. A good linearity exists between the normalized Raman intensities and the logarithmic concentrations of Pb(2+) ranging from 10 pM to 1 μM with a good correlation coefficient, R(2) of 0.997. Remarkably, Pb(2+) ions with a low concentration of 8.9 × 10(-12) M can be readily determined via the SERS silicon chip ascribed to its superior SERS enhancement, much lower than those (∼nM) reported by other SERS sensors. Additionally, the developed chip features good selectivity and recyclability (e.g., ∼11.1% loss of Raman intensity after three cycles). More importantly, the as-prepared chip can be used for accurate and reliable determination of unknown Pb(2+) ions in real systems including lake water, tap water and industrial wastewater, with the RSD value less than 12%.

Simultaneous trapping of Zn and Cd by a tungsten coil and its application to grain analysis using electrothermal inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

For the first time, a tungsten coil (TC) was employed to trap Zn and Cd at room temperature and release them by heating simultaneously.

A miniaturized capacitively coupled plasma microtorch optical emission spectrometer and a Rh coiled-filament as small-sized electrothermal vaporization device for simultaneous determination of volatile elements from liquid microsamples: spectral and analytical characterization

A low power and low argon consumption (13.56 MHz, 15 W, 150 ml min(-1)) capacitively coupled plasma microtorch interfaced with a low-resolution microspectrometer and a small-sized electrothermal vaporization Rh coiled-filament as liquid microsample introduction device into the plasma was investigated for the simultaneous determination of several volatile elements of interest for environment. Constructive details, spectral and analytical characteristics, and optimum operating conditions of the laboratory equipment for the simultaneous determination of Ag, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn requiring low vaporization power are provided. The method involves drying of 10 μl sample at 100°C, vaporization at 1500°C and emission measurement by capture of 20 successive spectral episodes each at an integration time of 500 ms. Experiments showed that emission of elements and plasma background were disturbed by the presence of complex matrix and hot Ar flow transporting the microsample into plasma. The emission spectrum of elements is simple, dominated by the resonance lines. The analytical system provided detection limits in the ng ml(-1) range: 0.5(Ag); 1.5(Cd); 5.6(Cu); 20(Pb) and 3(Zn) and absolute detection limits of the order of pg: 5(Ag); 15(Cd); 56(Cu); 200(Pb) and 30(Zn). It was demonstrated the utility and capability of the miniaturized analytical system in the simultaneous determination of elements in soil and water sediment using the standard addition method to compensate for the non-spectral effects of alkali and earth alkaline elements. The analysis of eight certified reference materials exhibited reliable results with recovery in the range of 95-108% and precision of 0.5-9.0% for the five examined elements. The proposed miniaturized analytical system is attractive due to the simple construction of the electrothermal vaporization device and microtorch, low costs associated to plasma generation, high analytical sensitivity and easy-to-run for simultaneous multielemental analysis of liquid microsamples.