IDENTIFICATION OF NUTRIENTS WITH THE HELP OF SENSORS

Abstract

In determining water eutrophication, nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus are essential indexes. They are, though, constrained by their comparatively low sensitivity and the need for chemical detection reagents. Specific nutrient sensing properties and capabilities have been demonstrated by electronic sensors, i.e. potentiometric sensors, voltammetric sensors, and field-effect transistor (FET) sensors, which focus on electrical signals (e.g. potential, current, and resistance). These electronic sensors allow fast and low-level identification of nitrogen salts and phosphates in water, compared with traditional methods. Different sensor architectures and sensing components have been researched and published over the previous years. The efficiency of electronic sensors has been further enhanced with the creation of nanomaterials, providing considerable opportunities to detect nutrients and other water pollutants. This review article would present recent developments in the identification of nitrogen salts and phosphates by electronic sensors and address existing shortcomings and research perspectives for these kind of sensors.