NEW DELHI: The electro-microbiology faculty at the Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology at IIT Delhi has developed a sensor for real-time water quality monitoring using electricity-generating microorganisms. Known as “electroactive microorganisms”, these microbes generate electric current and are widely researched for power generation but can also be used for bio-sensing.
Specifically, the bio-electrochemical sensor developed uses “weak electricigens”, a category of electroactive microbes that are known for generating low electric charges. When they encounter a pollutant, their output decreases.
By measuring their extracellular current continuously, the approach facilitates real-time monitoring of water quality. Such technology could act as an early-warning system to be used in tandem with conventional monitoring methods that can be expensive or not amenable to 24/7 operation.
The sensor responded to a number of pesticides and could be used repeatedly for longterm monitoring, a crucial feature for areas frequently exposed to water contamination. In future, such technology may also be useful for detecting emerging contaminants that are not typically covered in routine tests.
Many natural environments appear to host weak electricigens, raising the possibility of future on-site sensors as well as easy incorporation into existing monitoring stations. The findings have relevance to the widespread adoption of water quality monitoring that will be required to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of sufficient water and sanitation by 2030.
The findings were authored by Dr. KartikAiyer (former postdoctoral fellow), Ms. Debasa Mukherjee (Ph.D. scholar) and Prof. Lucinda Elizabeth Doyle (Assistant Professor) from the Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, IIT Delhi, in a research paper entitled “A Weak Electricigen-Based Bioelectrochemical Sensor for Real-Time Monitoring of Chemical Pollutants in Water”, published in ACS Applied Bio Materials published by the American Chemical Society.
Useful in identifying emerging contaminants
Such technology could act as an early-warning system to be used in tandem with conventional monitoring methods that can be expensive or not amenable to 24/7 operation. In future, such technology may be useful for detecting emerging contaminants, not usually identifiable.