pesticides from the environmental samples. Besides detection of single analytes,
nanotechnology can be applied to develop devices like multianalyte nanosensor
arrays, which can be designed for simultaneous detection of multiple analytes. In
this work, we have discussed various types of nanosensors based on the
nanomaterials and transduction principle for detection, monitoring and assessment of different harmful environmental contaminants. Limitations of these
nanosensors challenging their practical and potential applications have also
been discussed in this chapter.
Keywords
Nanosensors · Nanomaterials · Environment · Nanoscale · Contaminant
5.1
Introduction
We are living in a rapidly progressive world, with regular technological advancement, agricultural and industrial growth, new scientific research and changing
human lifestyle. All these developments affect the environment due to constant
direct and indirect human interactions with their living and nonliving surroundings.
The modernization have in one side led to many positive effects like development of
facilities for a better and comfortable lifestyle, but in turn have also resulted in
numerous negative impacts on our environment. The excessive use and production
of different kinds of chemical and biological compounds for growth of various
sectors of human life have led to excessive emission of harmful gases into the
atmosphere and discharge of harmful effluents into the water sources and soil.
When such chemical and biological species enter the environment beyond a certain
limit, they lead to the contamination of air, water and soil, leading to change in
physical, chemical and biological properties of these natural resources, thus causing
environmental pollution. As a consequence, such effects give rise to dangerous
phenomenon like ozone layer depletion, acid rain, climate changes and melting of
the glaciers due to global warming, and numerous fatal diseases causing harm to
humans as well as all the other living species on our planet. Therefore, detection of
the amount of such species in the environmental samples and regular monitoring of
the impacts of developmental projects releasing such substances is very important.
Also, proper environmental studies for identification, evaluation and estimation of
the consequences of proposed and ongoing projects, i.e. environmental assessment
for reducing the negative effects before making commitments and decision regarding
such projects is extremely necessary (Balaman 2019). Many technologies for detection and monitoring of environmental samples have been developed and used over
years including sample analysis by techniques like flow injection analysis, atomic
absorption spectroscopy (AAS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), high performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC), inductively coupled plasma
mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), etc., but they have certain limitations like expert
handling, time consuming sample preparation, high operating costs, portability
92
U. Chakraborty et al.
nanotechnology can be applied to develop devices like multianalyte nanosensor
arrays, which can be designed for simultaneous detection of multiple analytes. In
this work, we have discussed various types of nanosensors based on the
nanomaterials and transduction principle for detection, monitoring and assessment of different harmful environmental contaminants. Limitations of these
nanosensors challenging their practical and potential applications have also
been discussed in this chapter.
Keywords
Nanosensors · Nanomaterials · Environment · Nanoscale · Contaminant
5.1
Introduction
We are living in a rapidly progressive world, with regular technological advancement, agricultural and industrial growth, new scientific research and changing
human lifestyle. All these developments affect the environment due to constant
direct and indirect human interactions with their living and nonliving surroundings.
The modernization have in one side led to many positive effects like development of
facilities for a better and comfortable lifestyle, but in turn have also resulted in
numerous negative impacts on our environment. The excessive use and production
of different kinds of chemical and biological compounds for growth of various
sectors of human life have led to excessive emission of harmful gases into the
atmosphere and discharge of harmful effluents into the water sources and soil.
When such chemical and biological species enter the environment beyond a certain
limit, they lead to the contamination of air, water and soil, leading to change in
physical, chemical and biological properties of these natural resources, thus causing
environmental pollution. As a consequence, such effects give rise to dangerous
phenomenon like ozone layer depletion, acid rain, climate changes and melting of
the glaciers due to global warming, and numerous fatal diseases causing harm to
humans as well as all the other living species on our planet. Therefore, detection of
the amount of such species in the environmental samples and regular monitoring of
the impacts of developmental projects releasing such substances is very important.
Also, proper environmental studies for identification, evaluation and estimation of
the consequences of proposed and ongoing projects, i.e. environmental assessment
for reducing the negative effects before making commitments and decision regarding
such projects is extremely necessary (Balaman 2019). Many technologies for detection and monitoring of environmental samples have been developed and used over
years including sample analysis by techniques like flow injection analysis, atomic
absorption spectroscopy (AAS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), high performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC), inductively coupled plasma
mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), etc., but they have certain limitations like expert
handling, time consuming sample preparation, high operating costs, portability
92
U. Chakraborty et al.