CONSERVING OF THE RESOURCES
Prototype of a SMFC-based biosensor for real-time monitoring of heavy metals polluted water
Timely detection and treatment of water pollution is of utmost importance for preventing serious environmental pollution and toxicity to living organisms. Traditional monitoring methods require time for sampling and analysis, and those that provide real-time monitoring are expensive and have limited application. The development of a low-cost sensor for real-time water monitoring will enable wider application and quality management of more water bodies. Guided by this, we constructed and tested a prototype of a biosensor based on a sediment microbial fuel cell. The sensor showed high efficiency and sensitivity to the most common heavy metals pollutants from industrial, agricultural and domestic wastewater. The sensor is designed for both portable and desktop applications, as well as for integration into the technological schemes of enterprises for continuous monitoring.