metalsensing

Metalsensing is the detection and quantification of metallic species, including metal ions and elemental metals, using sensor-based approaches. It encompasses chemical, electrochemical, optical, and spectroscopic techniques and is used to study environmental samples, industrial processes, and biological systems.

Common sensing platforms include electrochemical sensors such as ion-selective electrodes and voltammetric or impedance-based devices, often employing aptamers, antibodies, or catalytic enzymes as recognition elements; optical sensors based on colorimetric or fluorescent readouts, surface plasmon resonance, or Raman; and spectroscopic techniques like inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for confirmatory or laboratory analysis. Field-deployable formats include paper-based electrochemical sensors and microfluidic systems.

Applications span monitoring heavy metals in water and soil, quality control in food and beverages, detection of metal biomarkers in clinical samples, mining and industrial process monitoring, and defense or border security where metal contaminant sensing matters.

Key performance metrics include limit of detection, dynamic range, selectivity against interfering ions, response time, stability, and cost. Challenges include matrix effects, calibration transfer between environments, sensor fouling, and the need for robust, portable, and user-friendly devices.

Ongoing developments aim at higher sensitivity, multiplexed sensing of multiple metals, integration with smartphones and wireless data networks, and the use of nanomaterials and advanced transducers to enhance performance and enable real-time, in situ monitoring. Related fields include metallomics and metal ion sensing.