Determination of uranium in water based on enzyme inhibition using a wireless magnetoelastic sensor

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to develop a wireless magnetoelastic sensing method for the determination of uranium in water based on the inhibitory effect of uranyl cation to α-amylase. In this method, a wireless sensor used for detecting uranium was fabricated by immobilizing a layer of starch gel on the surface of a magnetoelastic foil. When the sensor was in a solution containing α-amylase, the α-amylase catalyzed the hydrolyzation of starch, causing a resonance frequency shift of the sensor. Meanwhile, the catalytic hydrolyzation of starch was inhibited by uranium presented in the above solution, resulting in a decrease in the resonance frequency shift of the sensor. Consequently, the amount of uranium could be determined by measuring the resonance frequency shift. The influence of manifold variables on the determination was investigated in details. A linear range was found to be 9.2 to 103.5 µg L−1 under optimal conditions with a detection limit of 3.6 µg L−1. The method was applied to the determination of uranium in environmental water samples with satisfactory results.