Development of Reusable Colorimetric Sensors for the Assessment of Sea Water Quality

探测海洋中的水质最近引起了人们的极大兴趣。对污染海水的大量细菌、化学物质和塑料进行感知，对海洋和人类生命都很重要。海洋污染的主要问题之一是它大多是看不见的。开发可重复使用的比色指标来检测水污染类型，具有多种最终用途。这将作为一个健康和安全的工具。传感器可以突出水污染的有害影响。一套传感器将展示各种形式的海洋污染在全球范围内是多么普遍，而不仅仅是在英国，在英国，某些形式的海水检测是一项法律要求。预期的最终用途是将传感器连接到潜水服上，监测水质。该传感器可以隶属于Surfers Against Sewage等组织，与他们的“更安全的海洋服务”（Surfers Against Sewage, 2019）联系在一起，也可以被可持续冲浪品牌使用。“沿海地区和社区是世界上最脆弱的地区之一”（Scott & Rogers, 2018）。研究缅因湾的水质，他们发现冲浪者是海洋水质的重要利益相关者。他们的研究发现，研究中96%的冲浪者对当地冲浪点的水质感兴趣。本文强调需要一种改进的方法来向冲浪者传达不良水质的危险。Scott和Rogers（2017）还建议，利用冲浪者社区可能是提高海洋污染意识的最佳方式。Milindanuth和Pisitsak展示了固态比色传感器的优点；“包括易于处理、操作简单和低成本，并在不使用昂贵仪器的情况下提供定性和定量信息”（Milindanuth & Pisitsak, 2018）。纳米纤维由于其具有高多孔性和大面积体积比的能力而适用于传感器应用。在纳米纤维的生产和“有毒有机溶剂”的潜在使用方面存在挑战（Milindanuth & Pisitsak, 2018）。Piriya等人（2017）基于其高灵敏度和选择性响应确定了比色传感器。目前基于比色法的研究“都是关于尺寸、成本、原位和不需要任何额外仪器的小型化”，（Piriya等，2017）。这突出了这项研究在当前气候下的相关性。Piriya等人，（2017）也讨论了纳米技术在当前传感器技术中的重要性。目标：开发可重复使用的比色传感器条，用于评估若干海洋水质指标；确定哪些水质指标最适合应用；基于纳米纤维和水凝胶的新型可重复使用水质传感器技术的研制创造可重复使用的水质传感器原型条，它会随着暴露在一系列污染物中而改变颜色；新型比色传感器与传统比色传感器性能的比较。鉴别和分类目前的水质检测方法。调查和确定需要检测的最常见的海洋水污染类型。应用报告的比色传感器检测相关污染物。确定最合适的基材、着色剂和测试环境。准备模拟海水（SSW）进行重复性测试。测量对污染物的比色反应和纳米纤维和水凝胶传感器的灵敏度。比较了新型传感器与传统水质评价方法的响应。该项目与以下EPSRC主题相关：工程，物理科学，全球不确定性和制造业的未来。特别是传感器和仪器仪表和水工程的研究领域。

Detecting water quality in our oceans has attracted much recent interest. Sensing the multitude of bacteria, chemicals and plastics, increasingly found polluting sea water, is important to both marine and human life. One of the main problems with ocean pollution is that it is mostly invisible. The development of reusable colorimetric indicators to sense types of water pollution, has multiple end uses. This would act as a health and safety tool. The sensor may highlight the detrimental impact of water pollution. A set of sensors would demonstrate how widespread various forms of marine pollution are globally, not just in the UK where some forms of ocean water testing are a legal requirement. The expected end use would be to attach the sensors to a wetsuit, monitoring the quality of the water. The sensor could be affiliated with organisations such as Surfers Against Sewage, linking with their 'Safer Seas Service' (Surfers Against Sewage, 2019) or utilised by sustainable surfing brands. 'Coastal areas and communities are some of the most vulnerable regions worldwide' (Scott & Rogers, 2018). Studying water quality in the Gulf of Maine, they found that surfers are an important stakeholder in ocean water quality. Their research found that 96% of the surfers included in the study were interested in the water quality at their local surf spot. This paper highlights the requirement for an improved method of communicating the dangers of poor water quality to surfers. Scott and Rogers (2017) also suggest that utilising the surfer community may be the best way to raise awareness of ocean pollution. Milindanuth and Pisitsak demonstrated the advantages of a solid-state colorimetric sensor; 'including ease of handling, operational simplicity, and low cost, and provide qualitative and quantitative information without the use of expensive instruments' (Milindanuth & Pisitsak, 2018). Nanofibres are suitable for sensor applications on account of their ability to be highly porous with a large area-to-volume ratio. There are challenges in the production of nanofibres and the potential use of 'toxic organic solvents' (Milindanuth & Pisitsak, 2018). Piriya et al., (2017) identified colorimetric sensors based on their high sensitivity and selective response. Current research based on colorimetry 'is all about the miniaturization of size, cost, in-situ and without any additional instruments', (Piriya, et al., 2017). This highlights the relevance of this research in the current climate. Piriya et al., (2017) also discuss the importance of nanotechnology in current sensor technology. AIMSDevelopment of a reusable strip of colorimetric sensors for the assessment of several ocean water quality indicators;Identification of which water quality indicators are most suitable for the application;Production of novel reusable water quality sensor technologies based on nanofibers and hydrogels;Creation of reusable prototype strips of water quality sensors that change colour with exposure to a range of pollutants;Comparison of the performance of the novel colorimetric sensors with conventional methods.METHODOLOGYIdentify and classify current water quality testing methods. Investigate and identify the most common types of ocean water pollution to be detected. Apply reported colorimetric sensors for the detection of relevant pollutants.Identify the most appropriate substrate, colorants and testing environments. Prepare Simulated Sea Water (SSW) for repeatability testing.Measure the colorimetric response to pollutants and the sensitivity of nanofibre- and hydrogel- based sensors.Compare the response of the novel sensors to traditional methods of water quality assessment.The project is related to the following EPSRC themes; Engineering, Physical Sciences, Global Uncertainties and Manufacturing the Future. In particular the research areas of Sensors and Instrumentation and Water Engineering.