Flow injection microbial trichloroethylene sensor

A flow type microbial biosensor for direct measurement of trichloroethylene (TCE) was developed. The unique features of this novel microbial sensor were the use of the TCE degrading bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa JI104, the electrical detection of the chloride ion released by microbial degradation, and flow cell made of glass. Glass cell was used in order to suppress adsorption of TCE and made a closed reaction cell. Vaporization of TCE during the measurement was prevented using closed flow cell. The performance of the sensor was evaluated from following aspects; such as pH of the carrier solution, amount of the immobilized microbe, flow rate and injection volume. The sensor signals were linearly proportional to the concentration of TCE in the range from 0.03 to 2 mg l−1, which is suitable for the determination of suspected samples to be drinkable water or not. The sensor performance was checked on the real sample, and this system showed good response in ground water, indicating its applicability for the on line monitoring at TCE contaminated areas or hazardous sites.