1. Submersible voltammetric sensing probe for rapid and extended remote monitoring of opioids in community water systems.
- Author
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Zhou, Jiachi, Ding, Shichao, Sandhu, Samar, Chang, An-Yi, Taechamahaphan, Anubhap, Gudekar, Shipra, and Wang, Joseph
- Subjects
Electrochemical sensors ,Fentanyl ,Opioids ,Remote sensing ,Square wave voltammetry ,Submersible probes ,Wastewater-based epidemiology ,Water Pollutants ,Chemical ,Electrochemical Techniques ,Fentanyl ,Analgesics ,Opioid ,Metal-Organic Frameworks ,Electrodes ,Wastewater ,Environmental Monitoring ,Limit of Detection ,Carbon ,Nanoparticles ,Remote Sensing Technology - Abstract
The intensifying global opioid crisis, majorly attributed to fentanyl (FT) and its analogs, has necessitated the development of rapid and ultrasensitive remote/on-site FT sensing modalities. However, current approaches for tracking FT exposure through wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) are unadaptable, time-consuming, and require trained professionals. Toward developing an extended in situ wastewater opioid monitoring system, we have developed a screen-printed electrochemical FT sensor and integrated it with a customized submersible remote sensing probe. The sensor composition and design have been optimized to address the challenges for extended in situ FT monitoring. Specifically, ZIF-8 metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived mesoporous carbon (MPC) nanoparticles (NPs) are incorporated in the screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) transducer to improve FT accumulation and its electrocatalytic oxidation. A rapid (10 s) and sensitive square wave voltammetric (SWV) FT detection down to 9.9 µgL-1 is thus achieved in aqueous buffer solution. A protective mixed-matrix membrane (MMM) has been optimized as the anti-fouling sensor coating to mitigate electrode passivation by FT oxidation products and enable long-term, intermittent FT monitoring. The unique MMM, comprising an insulating polyvinyl chloride (PVC) matrix and carboxyl-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT-COOH) as semiconductive fillers, yielded highly stable FT sensor operation (> 95% normalized response) up to 10 h in domestic wastewater, and up to 4 h in untreated river water. This sensing platform enables wireless data acquisition on a smartphone via Bluetooth. Such effective remote operation of submersible opioid sensing probes could enable stricter surveillance of community water systems toward timely alerts, countermeasures, and legal enforcement.
- Published
- 2024