Sensor for faster, cheaper, and easier determination of dioxins in the environment

Purpose and goal

The project aim was to develop a portable sensor for on-site analysis of dioxins in water and soil, to complement today’s time-consuming and costly methods for dioxin analysis. We have developed a graphene-based sensor technology that enables fast determination of dioxins in complex samples. The technology can be tailored also for other analytes and will be patented. As the solution was not finalized until the project closure, the goal of integration with Envic-Sense’s commercial instrument for on-site determination of environmental toxins was not met, but will start in Q1 2020.

Expected results and effects

Despite measures to reduce the emission of dioxins, their concentration in the environment is not decreasing at the expected rate, and often the sources are unknown. We have developed a sensor solution with a chip-cost of 200 SEK that allows determination of dioxin concentrations within 1.5 h. This is a considerable cost- and time reduction compared to today’s time consuming and costly (5000-15000 SEK per sample) methods which require sophisticated instruments and specialized labs. New market avenues expected as the determination of dioxins becomes simplified.

Planned approach and implementation

LiU has previously developed an ultra-sensitive platform based on conductance changes in epitaxial graphene on SiC from Graphensic AB. A flow-cell has been developed for this platform to maximize sensitivity towards dioxins in liquid, with a clear, repeatable, and reversible response down to low pg/g concentrations. Combining our sensors with a well-established technology in biochemistry allowed selective determination of dioxins. The project reached proof of concept, and the work will continue to integrate the technology with Envic-Sense’s commercial instrument.