A real-time microfluidic surveillance system for multiplex detection of heavy metal contamination in wastewater.

Dong, Ping; Gao, Yanfeng; Zhao, Wenjian; Fan, Lingtao; Wang, Yuzhen · Lab Chip · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Water pollution, particularly from heavy metals, poses a critical threat to ecosystems and human health. This study integrates the CRISPR-Cas12a system with MOF-based bio-barcode technology to create a platform for the rapid, real-time and on-site detection of multiple heavy metal ions, demonstrating exceptional sensitivity and selectivity. The detection limits for Cu<sup>2+</sup>, Pb<sup>2+</sup>, and Hg<sup>2+</sup> are 0.26 nM, 0.06 nM, and 0.80 nM, respectively. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry analysis of real water samples confirmed the high accuracy and reliability of this method. Furthermore, a mobile phone-assisted portable device paired with a microfluidic chip facilitates real-time, rapid multi-channel metal ion detection in resource-limited settings.