The pollution of surface waters and groundwater with heavy metal ions (e.g. arsenic, lead, mercury, etc.) is a global problem with serious consequences for the environment, quality of life and the economic situation. The causes are manifold: in addition to increasing traffic, shipping, industry, mining and other anthropogenic factors play a role. The heavy metals that enter the environment accumulate in fish and other foodstuffs, thus jeopardising human health, as heavy metals are non-biodegradable and toxic. Comprehensive monitoring of heavy metal pollution in the environment and particularly in bodies of water is therefore essential.

The aim of the project is to develop and realise an innovative, portable analysis platform for the simultaneous determination of several heavy metals in water. An optical detection principle based on the optical properties of noble metal nanoparticles is used for this purpose. These nanoparticles, which are arranged as immobilized droplets (so-called spots) in an array, form the heart of the sensor. This so-called plasmonic microarray is functionalized with specific nucleic acid receptors (so-called aptamers) for the various heavy metals.

The binding of heavy metal ions leads to a spectrally measurable change in the particle resonances of the corresponding spots, which are read out using a spectral imaging method. The proposed low-cost multiplex demonstrator, which can be used on site, is intended to enable a simple test for heavy metal contamination in water samples. The aim is to realize a portable demonstrator with an integrated sensor chip, microfluidics and optical components that can be used by both specialists and less trained users.

Funding label: EUREKA/BMBF FKZ 01DS23017B