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The below mentioned article provides a close view on Environmental Biotechnology in Pollution Monitoring.
Environmental Biotechnology in Pollution Detection:
Environmental monitoring deals with the assessment of environmental quality, essentially by measuring a set of selected parameters on a regular basis. In general, two methods-physicochemical and biological are available for measuring and quantifying the extent of pollution.
In the past decades environmental monitoring programmes concentrated on the measurement of physical and chemical variables, while biological variables were occasionally incorporated.
Physicochemical methods involve the use of analytical equipment, having limitations regarding their cost (because of the complexity of the samples and the expertise of the operators needed to conduct the analysis) and the lack of hazard and toxicological information.
Environmental monitoring is of great importance for its protection. The harmful effect of toxic chemicals on natural ecosystems has led to an increasing demand for early- warning systems to detect those toxicants at very low concentrations levels.
Typically contaminant monitoring involves the regular and frequent measurement of various chemicals in water, soil, sediment and air over a fixed time period, e.g., a year.
Integration of environmental biotechnology with information technology has revolutioned the capacity to monitor and control processes at molecular levels “in order to achieve real-time information and computational analysis in complex environmental systems”.
Bio-Indicators (Biomarkers):
More recently, environmental monitoring programmes have, apart from chemical measurements in physical compartments, included the determination of contaminant levels in biota, as well as the assessment of various responses of biological/ecological systems.
Nowadays, temporal and spatial changes in selected biological systems/parameters can and are used to reflect changes in environmental quality through bio-monitoring.
In this context, some organisms or communities may react to an environmental effect by changing a measurable biological function and/or their chemical composition. This way it is possible to infer significant environmental change and their responses are referred to as bio-indicators.
Biomarkers are thus used in bio-monitoring programmes to give biological information, i.e., the effects of pollutants on living organisms. Three main types of indications can be obtained on exposure, effect, and susceptibility.
Biomarkers that have potential for use in bio monitoring are:
a. Molecular (gene expression, DNA integrity)
b. Biochemical (enzymatic, specific proteins or indicator compounds)
c. Histo-cytopathological (cytological, histopathological)
d. Physiological
e. Behavioural.
Unfortunately, field application of biomarkers is subject to various constraints (e.g., the availability of living material) that can limit data acquisition and prevent the use of multivariate methods during statistical analysis.
Besides, they should have the following attributes: be sensitive (so that it can act as an early-warning), specific (either to a single compound or a class of compounds), broad applicable, easy to use, reliable and robust, good for quality control, able to be readily taught to the personnel, provide the data and information necessary.
Biosensors for Environmental Monitoring:
Research on bio-sensing techniques and devices for environment, together with that in genetic engineering for sensor cell development have expanded in the latest time.
Environmental biosensors are analytical devices composed of a biological sensing element or biomarker (enzyme, receptor antibody or DNA) in intimate contact with a physical transducer (optical, mass or electrochemical), which together relate the concentration of an analyte to a measurable electrical signal.
The biosensors exploit biological specificity to produce signals that can be used to measure pollution levels. Generally speaking, biosensor is a broad term that refers to any system that detects the presence of a substrate by use of a biological component which then provides a signal that can be quantified. The signal may be electrical or in the form of a dye that changes colour.
They comprise a biological recognition element such as an enzyme, antibody or cell that will react with the material to be detected. Biosensors based on a combination of a biological sensing element and an electronic signal-transducing element that offer high selectivity, high sensitivity, short- response time, portability and low cost, are ideal for monitoring pollutants in environment.
Biosensors can be applied for:
a. Toxicity screening of samples using bioluminescence or fluorescence,
b. Water quality monitoring,
c. Atmospheric quality bio-monitoring, and
d. Soil-contamination bio-monitoring.