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On-line monitoring of water quality with a floating microbial fuel cell biosensor: field test results

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Abstract

Real-time biomonitoring using microbial fuel cell (MFC) based biosensors have been demonstrated in several laboratory studies, but field validation is lacking. This study describes the long-term performance of an MFC based biosensor developed for real-time monitoring of changes in the water quality of a metal-contaminated stream. After a startup in the laboratory, biosensors were deployed in a stream close to an active mining complex in Sudbury, ON, Canada. Three sites within the stream were selected for biosensors installation based on their positions relative to the mining complex discharge points - upstream (lowest heavy metals concentration), midpoint and downstream. The biosensors installed at these sites were able to detect, in real-time, temporal changes in the water quality over a 2-month period. The biosensor response was confirmed by the results of a conventional toxicity assay (48-h acute Daphnia magna) as well as analytical measurements of heavy metals concentration in the stream. We conclude that the biosensor could detect changes in the overall water quality of the stream despite the uncontrolled situations typical for field operations as compared to laboratory conditions. To further explain the results observed during the field test, the rapid Microtox bioassay and D. magna assay were used to investigate the possible contributions of the two dominant mining metals (Nickel and Copper) to water toxicity in the test area.

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Acknowledgements

The Junction Creek Stewardship Committee’s help in collection of samples during the biosensor field deployment is greatly appreciated.

Author contributions

All the authors participated in research conceptualization, methodology, investigation, data curation and analysis and paper preparation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research Council of Canada, 6100 Royalmount Ave, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada

    Ademola Adekunle & Boris Tartakovsky

  2. Natural Resources Canada, 555 Booth Street, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0G1, Canada

    Carrie Rickwood

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  1. Ademola Adekunle
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  2. Carrie Rickwood
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  3. Boris Tartakovsky
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Correspondence to Ademola Adekunle.

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Adekunle, A., Rickwood, C. & Tartakovsky, B. On-line monitoring of water quality with a floating microbial fuel cell biosensor: field test results. Ecotoxicology 30, 851–862 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-021-02409-2

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