Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


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7439473 
Journal Article 
Nanosensors for Food Safety and Environmental Monitoring 
Singh, K; , 
2020 
63-84 
Monitoring of food and water for the presence of contaminants is necessary for both the well-being of the citizens and economy of a country. Prior vigilance and control at an early stage have become a norm in food and healthcare industries, and timely surveillance at local and global level for life-threatening chemicals and microbes is essential for abatement of diseases and epidemics. The advent of industrial revolution bestowed upon humans the burden of several chemicals, pesticides, plastics and antibiotics due to their rampant usage and in return got an immensely contaminated environment bursting with toxic wastes and antibiotic-resistant superbugs. With the emergence of nanotechnology, multitude of affordable rapid and specific sensing techniques has been developed. Keeping in view the implications of extensive contamination of our food and water resources, it becomes necessary for us to attain a pragmatic approach towards implementation of these advanced nano-techniques and fabrication of nanosensor devices that can rapidly sense even single cells or contaminants at sub-picomolar levels. Enhancement of these nanosensors with good affinity chemo−/bioreceptors to deliver reproducible and accurate results along with multiplexing is another niche being explored by various researchers worldwide. In this chapter we discuss a plethora of nanosensors available for detection of food contaminants, viz. adulterants, pathogens and their released toxins, viruses, antibiotics, drugs and additives. Keeping hand in hand with contaminated food are water sources, a primary hub of lethal heavy metals leeched from industries and agrochemicals from crop fields. Nanosensing devices, thus designed and fabricated using nanoelectronics and microfluidic platforms in conjugation with specific receptors, have risen as saviours for food safety and environmental surveillance. This chapter will work as a compendium of nanosensor technologies available in recent times and help to enhance the innovative exploration needed for a wholesome Internet-of-things (IoT) sensing and monitoring.