Development of an optical algal biosensor in a chip-based microfluidic system for pesticides detection in environmental samples
Résumé
In this work, we present an achieved fluorimeter used for water pollution detection. The principle of detection is based on the A-chlorophyll fluorescence measurement of microalgae, inserted by capillarity into low-cost and disposable xurography-based microfluidic chips. Three microalgae populations were used to develop the biosensor: Chlorella vulgaris (Cv), Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (Ps), and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Cr). The algal concentration and the light intensity were optimized beforehand to calibrate the biosensor sensitivity with a pesticide (Diuron). Finally, the biosensor was employed for the pollution level measurement of 10 aqueous urban polluted samples (7 urban wet-weather discharges and 3 wastewater) in order to prove its reliability, reproducibility, and performance. Results are very promising, and leads to more complex chips in the future.