scholarly journals Development of a paper-based microfluidic device for the quantification of ammonia in industrial wastewater

Water SA ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (3 July) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nonhlazeko Loveday Nxumalo ◽  
Lawrence Mzukisi Madikizela ◽  
Hendrik Gert Kruger ◽  
Stanley Chibuzor Onwubu ◽  
Phumlane Selby Mdluli
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Industrial Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Colorimetric Method ◽  
Chromatographic Paper ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Toxic Pollutant ◽  
Nessler Reagent

Ammonia is a toxic pollutant increasingly found in urban and industrial wastewater and unprotected surface water. Industry discharges and fertilizer run-off release ammonia into sewers and streams, overloading wastewater treatment plants and causing fish deaths in surface water such as rivers, sea and lakes. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of the microfluidic paper-based device (µPAD) for the quantification of ammonia in wastewater. The µPAD fabricated had an oval-shaped pattern which was designed using CorelDraw software. The hydrophilic zones were created by printing a chromatographic paper with a Xerox wax printer (Xerox colorqube 8570). The modified version of the colorimetric method using Nessler reagent was combined with microfluidic technologies to create a low-cost monitoring system for detection of ammonia in wastewater. The method allows for ammonia determination in the range of 0–5 ppm (mg/L) with a limit of detection of 3.34 ppm. This study indicated that a µPAD was successfully used to quantify the concentration of ammonia in wastewater.

scholarly journals Development of paper-based microfluidic strips for quantification of ammonia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Nonhlazeko Loveday Nxumalo
Keyword(s):  
Spectrophotometric Method ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Yellow Colour ◽  
Chromatographic Paper ◽  
Hydrophobic Paper ◽  
Nessler Reagent ◽  
Ammonia Sensors ◽  
Wastewater Samples ◽  
Sizing Agents

Water is one of the most valuable and crucial of life and therefore accurate monitoring and assessment of water resources for sustainability is imperative. Conventional water investigation includes manual gathering of tests, their transportation and resulting examination in the research center. This is time and labour-intensive, costly and requires exceptionally qualified personnel. Sovereign of this procedure empowers more continuous examination, sparing time and cash for analysts, ventures and administering bodies. Consequently, there is requirement for advancement of minimal effort ecological microfluidic paper-based expository gadget that is fundamental for compelling administration of our profitable water assets. This will address the huge and growing demand for low-cost ammonia sensors as legislation becomes more stringent and as more frequent monitoring becomes essential for legislative compliance. Subsequently, this thesis reports on the development of a low-cost, colorimetric, wax- printed microfluidic paper-based analytical device (µPAD) to detect ammonia in industrial wastewaters. Microfluidic innovation was utilized to facilitate the examination of analytes on the colorimetric explanatory techniques onto a convenient detecting gadget. This therefore empowers the blending of little volumes of analytes with synthetic reagents to form a coloured/hued product in the sight of the analyte of interest. The µPAD fabricated was an oval shaped pattern which was designed on Corel draw software. The hydrophilic segments were made by printing a chromatographic paper with hydrophobic paper sizing agents utilizing a standard Xerox wax printer (Xerox colorqube 8570). The quantification of ammonia in wastewater was performed on the µPADs using two typical colorimetric methods namely, Nessler reagent and Salicylate. The reaction of ammonia with the Nessler reagent resulted in a brown or intense yellow colour whereas with the salicylate method, the final colour was green. For both methods, the colour intensity increased proportionally with the analyte concentration, and all images of the μPADs were captured and colorimetrically analyzed with ImageJ software for quantification. The analytical performances of the µPAD were linear from 0 to 5 mg L-1 with a limit of detection of 3.37 mg L-1 and 3.20 mg L-1 for the Nessler vii reagent and salicylate methods respectively. The validity and accuracy of aforementioned methods was supported by the standard UV Visible spectrophotometric method and applied to the measurement of wastewater effluent samples. Wastewater samples were analyzed and the results obtained were similar to those obtained with a spectrophotometric method, demonstrating that the µPAD is suitable to determine ammonia in wastewater.

Development of Rapid Colorimetric Assay for Detection of Gluconic Acid Using Iron(Ⅱ) and Indigo Carmine

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 525-525
Author(s):  
Yifeng Lan Yifeng Lan ◽  
Lixiang Zuo Lixiang Zuo ◽  
Yangyang Zhou Yangyang Zhou ◽  
Yanli Wei and Chuan Dong Yanli Wei and Chuan Dong
Keyword(s):  
Spectrophotometric Method ◽  
Gluconic Acid ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Colorimetric Assay ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Indigo Carmine ◽  
Colorimetric Method ◽  
Food Samples ◽  
Reducing Agent ◽  
Acid Complex

In this work, a simple and rapid spectrophotometric method, which is based on the fact that Iron(Ⅱ) -gluconic acid complex as a kind of reducing agent deterioration of indigo carmine dyes, was developed to detect gluconic acid in food. Under the optimal experimental condition, a linear range of 3.6 M to 900 M was obtained for gluconic acid with a limit of detection of 1.1 μM. The colorimetric method was rapid and robust with a low cost and can be applied to gluconic acid detection in food samples.

scholarly journals Highly Sensitive and Selective Colorimetric Detection of Methylmercury Based on DNA Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles

Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 2679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng-Jun Xie ◽  
Xian-Yu Bao ◽  
Chi-Fang Peng
Keyword(s):  
Gold Nanoparticles ◽  
Catalytic Activity ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Colorimetric Detection ◽  
Colorimetric Method ◽  
Optimal Conditions ◽  
Surface Deposition ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Dna Strand

A new colorimetric detection of methylmercury (CH3Hg+) was developed, which was based on the surface deposition of Hg enhancing the catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The AuNPs were functionalized with a specific DNA strand (HT7) recognizing CH3Hg+, which was used to capture and separate CH3Hg+ by centrifugation. It was found that the CH3Hg+ reduction resulted in the deposition of Hg onto the surface of AuNPs. As a result, the catalytic activity of the AuNPs toward the chromogenic reaction of 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB)-H2O2 was remarkably enhanced. Under optimal conditions, a limit of detection of 5.0 nM was obtained for CH3Hg+ with a linear range of 10–200 nM. We demonstrated that the colorimetric method was fairly simple with a low cost and can be conveniently applied to CH3Hg+ detection in environmental samples.

Distribution of heterotrophic and autotrophic organisms in a biological aerated filter

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
O. González-Barceló ◽  
S. González-Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Ammonia Nitrogen ◽  
Organic Load ◽  
Homogeneous Distribution ◽  
Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Filter Media ◽  
Aerated Filter ◽  
Secondary Settling

Biological aerated filtration is a viable option for small municipal wastewater treatment plants. A low cost filter media was obtained by triturating volcanic rock. An apparent porosity of 46 % and a specific surface area of 395 m2/m3·d were obtained once the filter was packed by using a grain size of 8.2 mm. The performance of the system, operated as a biological filter, was evaluated under an average organic load of 2.6±0.4 kgCODT/m3·d (6.7±1.1 gCODT/m2·d) without primary and secondary settling. The average CODT decreased from 220 mg/l in the influent to 88 mg/l in the effluent and the CODD was decreased from 148 mg/l in the influent to 50 mg/l in the effluent. The filter media, in combination with the biofilm, allowed a 75 % TSS removal. The ammonia nitrogen decreased from 51 mg/l in the influent to 33 mg/l in the effluent. The maximum flux coefficients of 9.3gCODdissolved/m2·d and 2.9gNH4-N/m2·d at the biofilm surface were used to simulate, with the Michaelis-Menten model, the profiles of dissolved COD, ammonium and nitrates through the aerated filter. It was possible to conclude that the backwashing procedure removed the excess biomass and was responsible for a homogeneous distribution of heterotrophic and autotrophic microorganisms along the filter depth.

Detection of Hepatitis a Virus and other Enteroviruses in Wastewater and Surface Water Samples by Gene Probe Assay

1991 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Dubrou ◽  
H. Kopecka ◽  
J. M. Lopez Pila ◽  
J. Maréchal ◽  
J. Prévot
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Cell Cultures ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Hepatitis A Virus ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Blot Hybridization ◽  
Noncoding Region ◽  
Gene Probe ◽  
Dot Blot ◽  
Lower Efficiency

Enteroviruses were specifically detected by dot blot hybridization when using poliovirus type 1 (PV1) derived subgenomic radiolabeled cRNA probes (riboprobes) in environmental water specimens and in the cell cultures in which the viruses were amplificated. The riboprobe corresponding to the 5' noncoding sequence detected the majority of enteroviruses. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) was specifically detected by an HAV cRNA probe corresponding to the 5' noncoding region of its genome. By this test, the limit of detection of coxsackievirus B5 and echovirus 7 seeded in mineral water was 103 to 104 PFU/spot. In cell cultures, positive signals were observed in the lysates of cells infected by one PFU. Higher positive signals were obtained with a short PV1 probe (nt 221-670) corresponding to the 5' noncoding region, which is a well preserved sequence among the enteroviruses, than with PV1 genomic probe. Hybridization allowed a good detection of enteroviral RNAs in wastewater specimens, but with a lower efficiency in surface water. In this case, amplification of viruses in the cell cultures gave significant hybridization results.

Danish Experience with Emergent Hydrophyte Treatment Systems (EHTS) and Prospects in the Light of Future Requirements on Outlet Water Quality

1990 ◽  
Vol 22 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 65-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.-H. Schierup ◽  
H. Brix
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Total Phosphorus ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Reed Beds ◽  
Effluent Quality ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Stage System

Since 1983 approximately 150 full-scale emergent hydrophyte based wastewater treatment plants (reed beds) have been constructed in Denmark to serve small wastewater producers. The development of purification performance for 21 plants representing different soil types, vegetation, and hydraulic loading rates has been recorded. Cleaning efficiencies were typically in the range of 60-80% reduction for BOD, 25-50% reduction for total nitrogen, and 20-40% reduction for total phosphorus. The mean effluent BOD, total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations of the reed beds were 19 ± 10, 22 ± 9 and 6.7 ± 3.2 mg/l (mean ± SD), respectively. Thus, the general Danish effluent standards of 8 mg/l for N and 1.5 mg/l for P for sewage plants greater than 5,000 PE cannot be met by the present realised design of EHTS. The main problem observed in most systems is a poor development of horizontal hydraulic conductivity in the soil which results in surface run-off. Since the political demands for effluent quality will be more strict in the future, it is important to improve the performance of small decentral sewage treatment plants. On the basis of experiences from different types of macrophyte based and conventional low-technology wastewater treatment systems, a multi-stage system is suggested, consisting of sedimentation and sand filtration facilities followed by basins planted with emergent and submergent species of macrophytes and algal ponds.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Safety Risk of Rural Roadsides Using a Bayesian Network Method

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianpei Tang ◽  
Senlai Zhu ◽  
Yuntao Guo ◽  
Xizhao Zhou ◽  
Yang Cao
Keyword(s):  
Bayesian Network ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Road Networks ◽  
Access Point ◽  
Safety Risk ◽  
Crash Data ◽  
Risk Levels ◽  
The Road ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Point Density

Evaluating the safety risk of rural roadsides is critical for achieving reasonable allocation of a limited budget and avoiding excessive installation of safety facilities. To assess the safety risk of rural roadsides when the crash data are unavailable or missing, this study proposed a Bayesian Network (BN) method that uses the experts’ judgments on the conditional probability of different safety risk factors to evaluate the safety risk of rural roadsides. Eight factors were considered, including seven factors identified in the literature and a new factor named access point density. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, a case study was conducted using 19.42 km long road networks in the rural area of Nantong, China. By comparing the results of the proposed method and run-off-road (ROR) crash data from 2015–2016 in the study area, the road segments with higher safety risk levels identified by the proposed method were found to be statistically significantly correlated with higher crash severity based on the crash data. In addition, by comparing the respective results evaluated by eight factors and seven factors (a new factor removed), we also found that access point density significantly contributed to the safety risk of rural roadsides. These results show that the proposed method can be considered as a low-cost solution to evaluating the safety risk of rural roadsides with relatively high accuracy, especially for areas with large rural road networks and incomplete ROR crash data due to budget limitation, human errors, negligence, or inconsistent crash recordings.

scholarly journals A rapid, accurate, scalable, and portable testing system for COVID-19 diagnosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guanhua Xun ◽  
Stephan Thomas Lane ◽  
Vassily Andrew Petrov ◽  
Brandon Elliott Pepa ◽  
Huimin Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Volume ◽  
N Gene ◽  
Testing System ◽  
Target Sequence ◽  
One Pot ◽  
Sequence Detection ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Speed Accuracy

AbstractThe need for rapid, accurate, and scalable testing systems for COVID-19 diagnosis is clear and urgent. Here, we report a rapid Scalable and Portable Testing (SPOT) system consisting of a rapid, highly sensitive, and accurate assay and a battery-powered portable device for COVID-19 diagnosis. The SPOT assay comprises a one-pot reverse transcriptase-loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) followed by PfAgo-based target sequence detection. It is capable of detecting the N gene and E gene in a multiplexed reaction with the limit of detection (LoD) of 0.44 copies/μL and 1.09 copies/μL, respectively, in SARS-CoV-2 virus-spiked saliva samples within 30 min. Moreover, the SPOT system is used to analyze 104 clinical saliva samples and identified 28/30 (93.3% sensitivity) SARS-CoV-2 positive samples (100% sensitivity if LoD is considered) and 73/74 (98.6% specificity) SARS-CoV-2 negative samples. This combination of speed, accuracy, sensitivity, and portability will enable high-volume, low-cost access to areas in need of urgent COVID-19 testing capabilities.

scholarly journals Rapid and Sensitive Detection of miRNA Based on AC Electrokinetic Capacitive Sensing for Point-of-Care Applications

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 3985
Author(s):  
Nan Wan ◽  
Yu Jiang ◽  
Jiamei Huang ◽  
Rania Oueslati ◽  
Shigetoshi Eda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Clinical Diagnostics ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Capacitive Sensing ◽  
Application Potential ◽  
Mirna Detection ◽  
Mirna 25 ◽  
Low Sensitivity

A sensitive and efficient method for microRNAs (miRNAs) detection is strongly desired by clinicians and, in recent years, the search for such a method has drawn much attention. There has been significant interest in using miRNA as biomarkers for multiple diseases and conditions in clinical diagnostics. Presently, most miRNA detection methods suffer from drawbacks, e.g., low sensitivity, long assay time, expensive equipment, trained personnel, or unsuitability for point-of-care. New methodologies are needed to overcome these limitations to allow rapid, sensitive, low-cost, easy-to-use, and portable methods for miRNA detection at the point of care. In this work, to overcome these shortcomings, we integrated capacitive sensing and alternating current electrokinetic effects to detect specific miRNA-16b molecules, as a model, with the limit of detection reaching 1.0 femto molar (fM) levels. The specificity of the sensor was verified by testing miRNA-25, which has the same length as miRNA-16b. The sensor we developed demonstrated significant improvements in sensitivity, response time and cost over other miRNA detection methods, and has application potential at point-of-care.

scholarly journals Demonstration of a Label-Free and Low-Cost Optical Cavity-Based Biosensor Using Streptavidin and C-Reactive Protein

Biosensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Donggee Rho ◽  
Seunghyun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Optical Cavity ◽  
Sample Volume ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Label Free ◽  
C Reactive Protein ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Cavity Structure

An optical cavity-based biosensor (OCB) has been developed for point-of-care (POC) applications. This label-free biosensor employs low-cost components and simple fabrication processes to lower the overall cost while achieving high sensitivity using a differential detection method. To experimentally demonstrate its limit of detection (LOD), we conducted biosensing experiments with streptavidin and C-reactive protein (CRP). The optical cavity structure was optimized further for better sensitivity and easier fluid control. We utilized the polymer swelling property to fine-tune the optical cavity width, which significantly improved the success rate to produce measurable samples. Four different concentrations of streptavidin were tested in triplicate, and the LOD of the OCB was determined to be 1.35 nM. The OCB also successfully detected three different concentrations of human CRP using biotinylated CRP antibody. The LOD for CRP detection was 377 pM. All measurements were done using a small sample volume of 15 µL within 30 min. By reducing the sensing area, improving the functionalization and passivation processes, and increasing the sample volume, the LOD of the OCB are estimated to be reduced further to the femto-molar range. Overall, the demonstrated capability of the OCB in the present work shows great potential to be used as a promising POC biosensor.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document