A portable EIS-based biosensor for the detection of microcystin-LR residues in environmental water bodies and simulated body fluids

Abstract

Due to the eutrophication of water bodies around the world, there is a drastic increase in harmful cyanobacterial blooms leading to contamination of water bodies with cyanotoxins. Chronic exposure to cyanotoxins such as microcystin leads to oxidative stress, inflammation, and liver damage, and potentially to liver cancer. We developed a novel and easy-to-use electrochemical impedance spectroscopy-based immunosensor by fabricating stencil-printed conductive carbon-based interdigitated microelectrodes and immobilising them with cysteamine-capped gold nanoparticles embedded in polyaniline. It has been also coupled with a custom handheld device enabling regular on-site assessment, especially in resource-constrained situations encountered in developing countries. The sensor is able to detect microcystin-LR up to 0.1 μg L⁻¹, having a linear response between 0.1 and 100 μg L⁻¹ in lake and river water and in serum and urine samples. In addition to being inexpensive, easy to fabricate, and sensitive, it also has very good selectivity.