Electrospun Nanofibers and Electrochemical Techniques for the Detection of Heavy Metal Ions

Abstract

Contamination by heavy metals is currently one of the most environmental concerns especially due to the toxicity, pervasiveness, and persistence of these substances. As they are not biodegradable, heavy metals are harmful not only for water, air, and soil but also for human health, even in very low traces. There is therefore a pressing need to develop an efficient, economic, and rapid analysis method to be applied in a wide range of conditions and able to detect very low contaminants concentrations. Currently, the most novel solution in this field is represented by the combination of electrospun nanofibers and highly sensitive electrochemical techniques. It has been proved that nanofibers, due to their outstanding properties, perfectly fit as sensing material when trace concentrations of heavy metals were investigated by anodic stripping voltammetry, envisaged as the most sensitive electrochemical technique for this kind of measurements. This work aims to provide an overview of the latest trends in the detection of contaminants by the simultaneous use of electrospun fibers and anodic stripping voltammetry. Indeed, a clear and comprehensive vision of the current status of this research may drive future improvements and new challenges.

Multifunctional Cadmium-Based Metal–Organic Frameworks for the Detection of Ion and Molecule in Aqueous Media

“…Iron deficiency or excess in the human body can cause a variety of diseases, such as skin diseases, insomnia, anemia, and so on. , Hexavalent chromium exists in the form of oxygenated compounds, CrO 4 2– and Cr 2 O 7 2– ions, which are carcinogenic in the human body. The excessive intake of Cr 2 O 7 2– ion can lead to liver and kidney damage, stomach ulcers, cramps, and even death. − TNP has attracted much attention in recent years as nitroaromatic compounds (NACs), which is more explosive than 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). , Due to its strong toxicity, destructiveness, and carcinogenicity, TNP has become one of the important sources of wastewater and air pollution. − In addition, some antibiotic drugs, such as ceftriaxone sodium (CRO) and tetracycline (TC), have wide applications in the treatment and prevention of diseases, but the misuse of antibiotics has exacerbated the hazards to water, air, and humans. − Currently, antibiotic wastewater is directly discharged into the water without proper treatment, causing serious pollution. − In order to detect heavy metals, TNP, and antibiotics in wastewater, some techniques have been mainly used, for instance, electrochemical techniques, , X-ray techniques, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), , and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) . However, these techniques have some drawbacks including expensive equipment, complicated operation, and being time-consuming.…”

“…15−18 Currently, antibiotic wastewater is directly discharged into the water without proper treatment, causing serious pollution. 19−21 In order to detect heavy metals, TNP, and antibiotics in wastewater, some techniques have been mainly used, for instance, electrochemical techniques, 22,23 X-ray techniques, 24 high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), 25,26 and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). 27 However, these techniques have some drawbacks including expensive equipment, complicated operation, and being time-consuming.…”

MXene Nanosheets Decorated with Pt Nanostructures for the Selective Electrochemical Detection of Quercetin

“…Electrochemical detection (ECD) technique has been considered as an effective method for detection of various compounds in solution due to its sensitive, fast, and cost-effective properties. − However, for the determination of quercetin, some disadvantages must be taken into consideration in ECD technology. One of those is the limitation in sensitivity.…”

Phytic Acid Doped Polyaniline as a Binding Coating Promoting Growth of Prussian Blue on Cotton Fibers for Adsorption of Copper Ions

“…The concentration of copper in drinking water recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) is to be less than 1.5 mg•L −1 [4]. Many articles reported the treatment methods of various wastewater containing Cu 2+ [5], such as adsorption [6], ionexchange [7], coprecipitation [8], membrane filtration [9], electrochemical technology [10], reverse osmosis [11], etc. Heavy metal mainly exists in the form of ions in water, so it is more advantageous to remove heavy metal from wastewater by ion exchange method [12].…”