For the purpose of synthesizing a compendium of efforts aimed at environmental pollution control through the use of constructed wetlands systems (CWs) in Ireland, a detailed review of CWs was undertaken. Emphasis was placed on the diverse range of development, practice and researches on CWs technology, placing them in the overall context of the need for lowcost and sustainable wastewater treatment systems. The potential use of CWs in protecting estuarine quality within the current legislative framework is considered, as well as the emerging concept of integrated constructed wetlands (ICWs). In addition, an assessment of the efficiency of CWs in operation in Ireland towards abating environmental pollution was done, and compared with CWs operating in other European countries. The need for sufficient and appropriate data to assist in further development of CWs and modelling studies, and instilling confidence in the public is also highlighted.

Residual free-chlorine concentration in water supplies is a key metric studied to ensure disinfection. High residual chlorine concentrations lead to unpleasant odours and tastes, while low concentrations may lead to inadequate disinfection. The concentration is most commonly monitored using colorimetric techniques which require additional reagents. Electrochemical analysis offers the possibility for in-line analysis without the need for additional reagents. Electrochemical-based detection of chlorine is influenced by the solution pH, which defines the particular chlorine ionic species present in solution. As such, controlling the pH is essential to enable electrochemical based detection of residual chlorine in water. To this end, we explore the application of solid state interdigitated electrodes to tailor the in-situ pH of a solution while simultaneously detecting free-chlorine. Finite element simulations and subsequent electrochemical characterization, using gold interdigitated microelectrode arrays, were employed to explore the feasibility of an in-situ pH control approach. In practice, the approach converted residual chlorine from an initial mixture of two species (hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ion), to one species (hypochlorous acid). Chlorine detection was shown in water samples using this exploratory method, resulting in a twofold increase in signal response, compared to measurements without pH control. Finally, tap water samples were measured using the in-situ pH control method and the results showed excellent correlation (within experimental error) with a commercial instrument, demonstrating the efficacy of the developed technique. This work establishes the possibility of deploying an electrochemical based reagent-free, in-line chlorine sensor required for water distribution networks.

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<p>In veterinary medicine, diagnostic tools enabling early detection of infectious disease in cattle could play a pivotal role in the control and eradication of bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD). Early identification of cattle persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is critical for early diagnosis and isolation of the animal from a susceptible herd. The immediate availability of electronic test results to a veterinarian on-farm, would eliminate the need to submit samples to a commercial laboratory thereby improving animal therapeutic outcomes considerably. An impedimetric silicon chip-based biosensor platform, containing six gold nanoband electrodes as six individual sensors, was developed in this study for detection of BVD disease target molecules. Gold nanoband electrodes were first coated with an electrodeposited polymer and then modified with either monoclonal antibodies or Erns protein, for the subsequent detection of BVD virus and antibodies in whole serum, respectively. We demonstrate that the nanoband sensors have sufficient sensitivity and specificity for serological detection of both targets, with a low time-to-result (20 minutes). All serological samples were benchmarked against, and in complete agreement with, gold standard commercial ELISA methods. These initial proof-of-concept findings are of particular significance for potential on-farm point of use applications, where rapid analysis times and specificity are required to permit early diagnostics by veterinarians. </p>

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