A new water quality monitoring chip containing selenite-enriched lanthanum hydroxide enables on-site detection of trimethoprim molecules.
Trimethoprim (TMP), a widely used antibiotic often present in wastewater treatment plant discharge, can disrupt the ecosystem and pose risks to human health when it contaminates soil and water. To address this issue, researchers from Korea have developed a convenient, disposable electrochemical sensor for rapid on-site detection of TMP in water samples. This innovative μTMP-chip enables efficient monitoring and management of environmental pollutants such as antibiotics.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health crisis caused by microbes, such as bacteria, becoming resistant to antibiotics. A leading factor in this rise is the improper use and disposal of antibiotics in the environment. Effluents from wastewater treatment plants often contain various antibiotics, including trimethoprim (TMP), which can harm ecosystems by disrupting microbial communities essential for nutrient cycling. In addition to contributing to AMR, TMP poses various health risks to humans through indirect exposure.
Traditional methods for TMP detection, such as capillary electrophoresis and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry, are often labour-intensive and time-consuming. Electrochemical (EC) methods can alleviate these issues by offering exceptional sensitivity, real-time analytical capabilities, and the potential for miniaturisation.
Professor Tae Yoon Lee and Dr Natarajan Karikalan of Chungnam National University, Korea, have pioneered EC detection methods that promise to revolutionise on-site testing for TMP in contaminated wastewater. They developed a disposable microfluidic lab-on-a-chip (LOC) EC sensor, μTMP-chip, designed for real-time TMP detection.
“Efficient TMP monitoring in effluents is critical for effective control protocols. Hence, we aimed to enable in situ testing of water samples,” Prof. Lee said.
Their paper was made available online on September 21, 2024, and was published in Volume 499 of the Chemical Engineering Journal on November 1, 2024.
The researchers designed the disposable chip by combining a special electrode made with lanthanum hydroxide and selenite with a polyimide (PI) filter in a microfluidic channel. The analyses showed that adding selenite improved the electrode’s ability to detect chemicals by allowing better charge flow. Additionally, the PI filter improved the μTMP-chip’s real-time performance, while the efficiency dropped by 15 to 45% when the filter was removed. Additionally, the filter helped trap and isolate unwanted materials and prevented the risk of microbial growth, which could interfere with the sensor’s function.
The μTMP-chip sensor demonstrated impressive results in real-world testing, showing recovery rates of 94.3 to 97.6 per cent in soil and water samples. These results, obtained through wireless testing, highlight the chip’s potential for practical use in monitoring environmental samples.
“Our current design may face challenges detecting TMP in highly polluted environments with significant matrix interferences. However, we hope our research will inspire further exploration into developing affordable and efficient TMP detection chips,” said Prof. Lee.
The researchers believe that their innovative lab-on-a-chip design has the potential to improve the feasibility of on-site, real-time tracking of environmental contaminants, leading to enhanced ecosystem conservation and human health.
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