Field-Deployable Monitor to Assess Personal Exposure to Multiple Heavy Metals

描述（由申请人提供） 许多污染化合物在其生产、使用和处置过程中不断释放到环境中。由此产生的混合物污染环境，可能对人类构成潜在威胁。重金属是重要的环境污染物，因为它们往往会在环境中持久存在，往往会生物积累，并在摄入或吸入时可能导致不良健康影响。这些金属物质可以在人体组织或液体（如血液或尿液）中进行测量，通常在中心实验室使用复杂的方法，如高效液相色谱法电感耦合等离子体质谱法。然而，考虑到与集中实验室分析相关的高劳动力和分析成本以及长时间延迟，迫切需要一种便携式且廉价的系统，用于现场监测生命系统（特别是人类）中由于通过饮用水、环境和工业来源暴露而暴露于重金属的情况。现场可部署的监测系统，用于现场个人接触评估，将允许实时监测痕量有毒金属的接触情况，并通过允许将仪器带到样本而不是传统的将样本带到实验室的方式，促进生物监测数据的使用。 该项目的总体目标是开发一种便携式、独立的、易于使用的监测仪，用于在接近真实的时间内同时现场测量一个尿样中的砷、镉、汞和铅金属，以评估个人接触情况。所提出的传感器将联合收割机的高灵敏度的一个专门的电化学测量技术与一个独特的微阵列电极材料和配置。在第一阶段，我们将调查传感器的设计配置，电极材料的组成，和初步的操作条件，这将证明独特的微芯片传感器原型检测砷和镉物种的可行性。在第一/第二阶段计划结束时，将开发、测试并在试点流行病学现场试验中使用一种紧凑、包装的原型传感器仪器。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) Numerous pollutant compounds are continuously released into the environment during their production, use and disposal. The resulting mixtures contaminate the environment and can be a potential threat to human beings. Heavy metals are significant environmental pollutants because they tend to persist in the environment, tend to bioaccumulate and can result in adverse health effects when ingested or inhaled. These metal species can be measured in human tissue or fluids such as blood or urine, usually in central laboratories using complex methods such as high-performance liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. However, in view of the high labor and analytical costs and long time delays associated with centralized laboratory analyses, there is an immediate need for a portable and inexpensive system for on-site monitoring of exposure to heavy metals in living systems, especially humans, as a result of exposure through drinking water, environmental, and industrial sources. Field deployable monitoring systems for in-situ, on-site, personal human exposure assessment will allow realtime monitoring of exposure to trace toxic metals, and facilitate the use of bio-monitoring data by allowing the instrument to be taken to the sample rather than the traditional way of bringing the sample to the laboratory. The overall objective of this project is to develop a portable, self-contained, easy-to-use monitor for simultaneous on-site measurement of arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead metals from one urine sample, in near real time, to assess personal exposure. The proposed sensor will combine the high sensitivity of a specialized electrochemical measurement technique with a unique microarray electrode material and configuration. During Phase I, we will investigate sensor design configurations, electrode material composition, and the preliminary operating conditions which will demonstrate the feasibility of the unique microchip sensor prototype for detection of arsenic and cadmium species. At the conclusion of the Phase I/II program, a compact, packaged prototype sensor instrument will have been developed, tested and utilized in pilot epidemiological field trials.