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History, Evolution, and Future of Rapid Environmental Assays Used to Evaluate Water Quality and Ecosystem Health

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Resilience, Response, and Risk in Water Systems

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Abstract

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), or emerging contaminants, comprise a wide array of chemical compounds from various sources, such as industrial, municipal, and agricultural origins. These compounds, previously not detected or present at insignificant levels, are usually unregulated and may be present in very low concentrations in groundwater, surface water, as well as drinking water. Examples include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, pesticides, natural toxins, and disinfection by-products. Since their long-term effects on the environment and human health are not completely understood, there is a great need for rapid, inexpensive, reliable, field-portable methods to measure concentrations and confirm the presence of these contaminants in environmental samples. A great deal of the work done in develo** rapid field test methods has involved immunoassays, which are based on a widely applicable technique making use of biological interactions between an antibody and an antigen. After a brief introduction to the topic, examples of commercially available tests, as well as tests developed by researchers, based on immunoassays are discussed. Further examples are given of portable, rapid methods of analysis, involving nanoparticle-based sensors, surface plasmon resonance, and mass spectrometry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nebraska Water Center, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA

    Daniel D. Snow

  2. U.S. Geological Survey, Kansas Water Sciences Center, 1217 Biltmore Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66046, USA

    Michael T. Meyer

  3. Eurofins-Abraxis Inc, 124 Railroad Drive, Warminster, PA, 18974, USA

    Fernando Rubio

  4. Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA

    Efthimia Papastavros

Authors
  1. Daniel D. Snow
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  2. Michael T. Meyer
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  3. Fernando Rubio
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  4. Efthimia Papastavros
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Correspondence to Daniel D. Snow .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Discipline of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

    Manish Kumar

  2. Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

    Francisco Munoz-Arriola

  3. Research Center for Water Environment Technology, School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Hiroaki Furumai

  4. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ruhuna, Galle, Sri Lanka

    Tushara Chaminda

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Snow, D.D., Meyer, M.T., Rubio, F., Papastavros, E. (2020). History, Evolution, and Future of Rapid Environmental Assays Used to Evaluate Water Quality and Ecosystem Health. In: Kumar, M., Munoz-Arriola, F., Furumai, H., Chaminda, T. (eds) Resilience, Response, and Risk in Water Systems . Springer Transactions in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4668-6_1

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