Materials in Electrochemical Detection
of Water Pollutants
Ankita Ojha
Abstract Heavy metals, radioactive wastes, organic pollutants, chemical and
biological wastes, pathogens and other such water contaminants have posed an
acute threat to man and other living beings worldwide. Monitoring of water pollutants is a matter of serious concern and electrochemical detection is one such
real-time and in-process monitoring is highly promising technique in this regard.
This real-time monitoring reduces detection time as well as minimizes chemicals
and reagents consumption as compared to conventional detection and analysis
techniques. They hold an additional advantage on-site detection of chemical
composition before discharge in water bodies. Advanced materials such as
screen-printed electrodes, Ionic liquids based sensing devices, electrochemical
biosensors and bioelectronics, etc. have proved to be effective innovations in
detection of contaminants. Their compactness, portability and easier handling
methods make them more reliable than conventional technologies. The chapter will
cover an account of all such electrochemical detection techniques (including
bio-sensing), their future perspectives and limitations.
Keywords Contaminants Á Pollutants Á Electrochemical Á Sensors Á
Bioelectronics Á Screen-printed electrodes
1 Introduction
Sustainable development is rising as a major challenge in the current era of Science
and Technology. With an exponential rise in anthropogenic activities, there has
been tremendous increase in global environmental issues. These activities have
proved to be fatal for living systems worldwide. The passage of time is only adding
obstacles in the path of attainment of clean environment (i.e. air, water and soil).
Techniques are required for quick and effective monitoring of pollutants in water
A. Ojha (&)
Department of Chemistry, IIT (BHU), Varanasi, India
e-mail: ankitao.rs.chy15@itbhu.ac.in
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
D. Pooja et al. (eds.), Sensors in Water Pollutants Monitoring: Role of Material,
Advanced Functional Materials and Sensors,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0671-0_10
161
of Water Pollutants
Ankita Ojha
Abstract Heavy metals, radioactive wastes, organic pollutants, chemical and
biological wastes, pathogens and other such water contaminants have posed an
acute threat to man and other living beings worldwide. Monitoring of water pollutants is a matter of serious concern and electrochemical detection is one such
real-time and in-process monitoring is highly promising technique in this regard.
This real-time monitoring reduces detection time as well as minimizes chemicals
and reagents consumption as compared to conventional detection and analysis
techniques. They hold an additional advantage on-site detection of chemical
composition before discharge in water bodies. Advanced materials such as
screen-printed electrodes, Ionic liquids based sensing devices, electrochemical
biosensors and bioelectronics, etc. have proved to be effective innovations in
detection of contaminants. Their compactness, portability and easier handling
methods make them more reliable than conventional technologies. The chapter will
cover an account of all such electrochemical detection techniques (including
bio-sensing), their future perspectives and limitations.
Keywords Contaminants Á Pollutants Á Electrochemical Á Sensors Á
Bioelectronics Á Screen-printed electrodes
1 Introduction
Sustainable development is rising as a major challenge in the current era of Science
and Technology. With an exponential rise in anthropogenic activities, there has
been tremendous increase in global environmental issues. These activities have
proved to be fatal for living systems worldwide. The passage of time is only adding
obstacles in the path of attainment of clean environment (i.e. air, water and soil).
Techniques are required for quick and effective monitoring of pollutants in water
A. Ojha (&)
Department of Chemistry, IIT (BHU), Varanasi, India
e-mail: ankitao.rs.chy15@itbhu.ac.in
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
D. Pooja et al. (eds.), Sensors in Water Pollutants Monitoring: Role of Material,
Advanced Functional Materials and Sensors,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0671-0_10
161