A Novel Sensor for total Mercury in Fish Tissue

描述(申请人摘要)：目前需要监测食品和 鱼组织样品总汞和其他有毒金属，现场，使用 便携式仪器。目前，汞的测定需要络合作用。 仪器，这超出了潜在用户的能力范围。此外， 样品必须以典型的周转时间运往经认可的实验室 10天或更长时间。鱼组织样品的制备涉及一项繁琐的工作 热、浓缩、酸消化的过程。 这项第一阶段的研究将考察使用丝网印刷的可行性 树枝状大分子-金纳米复合材料电极的“原位”阳极 鱼组织样品中总汞的溶出伏安法分析。 将测试样品制备的替代方法。树状大分子 结构由于其亲水性和分子臂的密度 预计将防止大的有机和生物分子的涌入。与 纳米级分子储存库的出现，如树枝状大分子，以及优秀的 有机会在生物测量学中测试快速化学传感的想法 举止。丝网印刷电极将在新墨西哥州的 使用我们专有配方的州立大学微细加工实验室。一个 使用经过认证的鱼对所建议的电极进行彻底的表征 将进行组织样本的“概念验证”。该产品来自 这项研究将非常适合便携式自动化商业 使用MetalyzerTM、SA-5000或Tracelab TM系统的仪器 美国环保局现行的汞溶出法分析方案。的成本 所提议的电极条与当前电极的成本相当。 ASV的检测下限非常低，可以分析各种有毒物质 由于每种金属都有独特的剥离潜力。 建议的商业应用： 提出的电极条在现场测试中具有巨大的潜力。 用于农业和食品工业。水质和常规水质一样 监测工业废水处理设施以监测低水平 有毒的水银和其他奖章。多分析物检测能力可能是 注册成立。预计美国和欧洲市场将会出现这种传感器 到2005年将接近4亿美元。

DESCRIPTION (Applicant's abstract): There is a current need to monitor food and fish tissue samples for total mercury and other toxic metals, onsite, using portable instruments. Currently the determination of mercury requires complex instrumentation, which is beyond the means of potential users. Moreover, the samples have to be shipped to an accredited lab with typical turnaround times of 10 days or more. The fish tissue sample preparation involves a tedious procedure of hot, concentrated, acid digestion. This Phase I research will examine the feasibility of using screen-printed electrodes with dendrimer-gold nano composite for the "in situ" anodic stripping voltammetric analysis (ASV) of total mercury in fish tissue samples. Alternate methods of sample preparations will be tested. The dendrimeric structure due to its hydrophilicity and density of the molecular arms are expected to prevent the influx of large organic and biomolecules. With the advent of nano scale molecular reservoirs such as the dendrimers, and excellent opportunity exists to test the idea of rapid chemical sensing in a biomimetric manner. The screen-printed electrodes will be fabricated at the New Mexico State University Microfabrication Labs using our proprietary formulations. A thorough characterization of the proposed electrode, using certified fish tissue samples for "proof of the concept" will be carried out. The product from this research would be well suited for portable automated commercial instruments such as the MetalyzerTM, SA-5000 or Tracelab TM systems using the current EPA protocols for mercury analysis by stripping methods. The cost of the proposed electrode strips is comparable to the current cost of electrodes. The ASV has remarkably low detection limits and can analyze a variety of toxic metals due to the unique stripping potentials for each metal. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The proposed electrodes strips have a massive potential for use in field tests for agriculture and food industry. Water quality as well as for routine monitoring of industrial waste water treatment facilities to monitor low levels of toxic mercury and other medals. Multianalyte sensing capabilities could be incorporated. The US and European market for the proposed sensors is projected to be close to 400 million dollars by the year 2005.