A portable sensor for contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) found in northern Minnesota lakes was designed, assembled, and tested for accuracy. The design of the CEC sensor includes a 3D printed case to hold an optics system, a microfluidic chip, and a cell phone (detector). The use of a cell phone camera as the detection method was chosen to improve portability, thus increasing ease of use for field applications. The microfluidic chip was engineered to quantify up to four CECs simultaneously, namely, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), bisphenol A (BPA), 4-nonylphenols, and carbadox. These CECs were chosen for their location in northern Minnesota, level of importance for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), and detectable concentration and toxicity as compared to other commonly found CECs. Though this system was designed with these analytes in mind, it is expected that the design could be adapted for quantification of any analyte with a known aptamer. The accuracy of the sensor was confirmed through the quantification of known values of estrone using a previously identified aptamer for estrone.

Portable aptamer-based fluorescent sensor for quantification of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs)

ACS Spring 2022

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