Chapter 7 - Bioelectrochemical sensors for detecting recalcitrant and toxic organic pollutants

Abstract

The environmental monitoring of recalcitrant and toxic organic pollutants in water samples became globally essential as they pose significant threats to the ecosystem and public health. Traditional lab-based analytical techniques based on mass spectrometry and chromatography are laborious, expensive, and time-consuming, which may not be suitable for continuous and field monitoring of these recalcitrant contaminants. Alternatively, biosensors developed on the basis of microbial electrochemical technologies, typically known as bioelectrochemical sensors, have shown great promise for next-generation environmental monitoring of various environmental contaminants. These bioelectrochemical sensors could enable a low-cost, simple, and on-site quantification of target analytes, including recalcitrant contaminants (oil, hydrocarbons, naphthenic acids, pesticides, fertilizer, formaldehyde, and polychlorinated biphenyls). Critical design and operating parameters, such as design, scale, fabrication methods, reusability, storage, sensitivity, and selectivity, are comprehensively discussed in this book chapter for further advancing these bioelectrochemical sensors to be deployed in the field. Furthermore, unique approaches, such as miniaturization, freeze-drying, 3D printing, and machine-learning applications for overcoming the challenges of the bioelectrochemical sensors, such as long-term stability, sensitivity, and selectivity, are also listed. This book chapter aims to provide the current-state-of-art of bioelectrochemical sensors applied for the detection of recalcitrant and toxic organic analytes.