Environmental Sentinel Biomonitor System for Drinking Water Protection

摘要

Toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) are a potential threat to field drinking water supplies, but capabilities for rapid field testing of water are limited to relatively few chemicals. The Environmental Sentinel Biomonitor (ESB) system will significantly augment current detection methods by rapidly identifying toxicity from chemicals that currently cannot be rapidly detected in water samples in the field. The ESB system utilizes two toxicity sensors - a cell based electrical impedance sensor and an enzyme based acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition sensor - to rapidly respond to a wide range of TICs. Future improvements to the ESB system under evaluation include the use of non- mammalian vertebrate cells to improve sensitivity and reduce logistical requirements and the development of an AChE inhibition sensor to provide more rapid detection with fewer steps and reagents.