On-site low-power sensing nodes for distributed monitoring of heavy metal ions in water

Tao Shen,Xi Zhang,Pengfei Niu,Yuantao Bai,Zhilin Wang,Yi Yuan,Menglun Zhang

doi:10.1063/10.0003511

Tao Shen, Xi Zhang + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.1063/10.0003511

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Abstract

Heavy metal pollution in water environments poses a great threat to public health and to the ecological environment due to its high toxicity and non-degradability. However, many existing detection methods require laboratory-based bulky instruments and time-consuming manual operations. Although some on-site systems exist, they are difficult to deploy on a large scale owing to their large size and high cost. Here, we report a sensing node featuring low power consumption and low cost, achieved by integrating microsensor, microfluidic, and electronic modules into a compact size for automatic and scalable heavy metal pollution monitoring. Digital microfluidic and electrochemical sensing modules are integrated on a chip, thereby combining the procedures of sample pretreatment, electrochemical sensing, and waste removal for automatic and continuous monitoring. The feasibility of the platform is demonstrated by Pb2+ detection in tap water. With a 3500 mA·h battery, the compact sensing node could work for several years in principle. There is scope for further improvements to the system in terms of wider functionality and reductions in size, power consumption, and cost. The sensing node presented here is a strong candidate for distributed monitoring of water quality as an Internet-of-Things application.

Highlights

Industrialization and agricultural activities have released a vast number of heavy metal ions into the water environment.1 Some of these, such as zinc and copper, are necessary for human metabolism,2,3 but others, such as lead and mercury, are harmful to human health and can even cause death.4 it is very important to be able to effectively and accurately detect heavy metal ion levels in water on a regular basis
The input voltage is divided into two parts, one of which is converted into a 1 kHz AC signal through the oscillation circuit (DC–AC), while the other is converted into a pair of ±90 V voltages through the boost module (DC–DC)
We have developed a proof-of-concept distributed sensing node for detecting heavy metal ions in water, featuring low power consumption and compact size

Summary

Introduction

Industrialization and agricultural activities have released a vast number of heavy metal ions into the water environment. Some of these, such as zinc and copper, are necessary for human metabolism, but others, such as lead and mercury, are harmful to human health and can even cause death. it is very important to be able to effectively and accurately detect heavy metal ion levels in water on a regular basis. Industrialization and agricultural activities have released a vast number of heavy metal ions into the water environment.. Industrialization and agricultural activities have released a vast number of heavy metal ions into the water environment.1 Some of these, such as zinc and copper, are necessary for human metabolism, but others, such as lead and mercury, are harmful to human health and can even cause death.. Measurements of heavy metals rely mainly on laboratory techniques, including atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).. Measurements of heavy metals rely mainly on laboratory techniques, including atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).7 These are timeconsuming, expensive, and, more importantly, cannot be implemented in the field for continuous monitoring, which increases the risk of faulty detection caused by sample contamination during transport. There is an urgent need for portable analytical tools that can offer on-site and real-time monitoring of heavy metal ions

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