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Sensors for Environmental Threats
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Sensors for Environmental Threats

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2024) | Viewed by 11252

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria Teresa Seabra dos Reis Gomes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CESAM, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: analytical chemistry and chemical sensors
Dr. Marta Veríssimo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CESAM, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: chemical sensors; fibre optic sensors; analytical and environmental chemistry; development of analytical methodologies; electronic nose; molecularly imprinted polymers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sensors for the environment are incredibly necessary as new threats are revealed every day and citizens are slowly becoming aware of the consequences of environment contamination for their lives and for the planet their children and grandchildren will inherit. Controlling indoor environment as well as cities’ air is mandatory. Monitorization in mines and special harsh environments requires the transport of signals to long distances, until they reach a control room. Air pollution also contaminates food and water, and cultural heritage is also under threat of irreparable damage.

Original research articles, comprehensive review papers, as well as short communications on this theme are welcome.

Dr. Maria Teresa Seabra dos Reis Gomes
Dr. Marta Veríssimo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • water contamination monitorization
  • greenhouse gases
  • sensors for harsh environments
  • indoor gas sensors
  • sensors for smart cities
  • food contamination from soil, water, dust, or rain

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2918 KiB  
Article
Advancements in Remote Alpha Radiation Detection: Alpha-Induced Radio-Luminescence Imaging with Enhanced Ambient Light Suppression
by Lingteng Kong, Thomas Bligh Scott, John Charles Clifford Day and David Andrew Megson-Smith
Sensors 2024, 24(12), 3781; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24123781 - 11 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1267
Abstract
Heavy nuclides like uranium and their decay products are commonly found in nuclear industries and can pose a significant health risk to humans due to their alpha-emitting properties. Traditional alpha detectors require close contact with the contaminated surface, which can be time-consuming, labour-intensive, [...] Read more.
Heavy nuclides like uranium and their decay products are commonly found in nuclear industries and can pose a significant health risk to humans due to their alpha-emitting properties. Traditional alpha detectors require close contact with the contaminated surface, which can be time-consuming, labour-intensive, and put personnel at risk. Remote detection is urgently needed but very challenging. To this end, a candidate detection mechanism is alpha-induced radio-luminescence. This approach uses the emission of photons from radio-ionised excited nitrogen molecules to imply the presence of alpha emitters from a distance. Herein, the use of this phenomenon to remotely image various alpha emitters with unparalleled levels of sensitivity and spatial accuracy is demonstrated. Notably, the system detected a 29 kBq Am-241 source at a distance of 3 m within 10 min. Furthermore, it demonstrated the capability to discern a 29 kBq source positioned 7 cm away from a 3 MBq source at a 2 m distance. Additionally, a ‘sandwich’ filter structure is described that incorporates an absorptive filter between two interference filters to enhance the ambient light rejection. The testing of the system is described in different lighting environments, including room light and inside a glovebox. This method promises safer and more efficient alpha monitoring, with applications in nuclear forensics, waste management and decommissioning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Threats)
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20 pages, 3643 KiB  
Article
Dielectric Properties of Materials Used for Microwave-Based NOx Gas Dosimeters
by Stefanie Walter, Johanna Baumgärtner, Gunter Hagen, Daniela Schönauer-Kamin, Jaroslaw Kita and Ralf Moos
Sensors 2024, 24(9), 2951; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24092951 - 6 May 2024
Viewed by 983
Abstract
Nitrogen oxides (NOx), primarily generated from combustion processes, pose significant health and environmental risks. To improve the coordination of measures against excessive NOx emissions, it is necessary to effectively monitor ambient NOx concentrations, which requires the development of precise [...] Read more.
Nitrogen oxides (NOx), primarily generated from combustion processes, pose significant health and environmental risks. To improve the coordination of measures against excessive NOx emissions, it is necessary to effectively monitor ambient NOx concentrations, which requires the development of precise and cost-efficient detection methods. This study focuses on developing a microwave- or radio frequency (RF)-based gas dosimeter for NOx detection and addresses the optimization of the dosimeter design by examining the dielectric properties of LTCC-based (Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramics) sensor substrates and barium-based NOx storage materials. The measurements taken utilizing the Microwave Cavity Perturbation (MCP) method revealed that these materials exhibit more pronounced changes in dielectric losses when storing NOx at elevated temperatures. Consequently, operating such a dosimeter at high temperatures (above 300 °C) is recommended to maximize the sensor signal. To evaluate their high-temperature applicability, LTCC substrates were analyzed by measuring their dielectric losses at temperatures up to 600 °C. In terms of NOx storage materials, coating barium on high-surface-area alumina resolved issues related to limited NOx adsorption in pure barium carbonate powders. Additionally, the adsorption of both NO and NO2 was enabled by the application of a platinum catalyst. The change in dielectric losses, which provides the main signal for an RF-based gas dosimeter, only depends on the stored amount of NOx and not on the specific type of nitrogen oxide. Although the change in dielectric losses increases with the temperature, the maximum storage capacity of the material decreases significantly. In addition, at temperatures above 350 °C, NOx is mostly weakly bound, so it will desorb in the absence of NOx. Therefore, in the future development of a reliable RF-based NOx dosimeter, the trade-off between the sensor signal strength and adsorption behavior must be addressed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Threats)
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21 pages, 8512 KiB  
Article
Sensors Network as an Added Value for the Characterization of Spatial and Temporal Air Quality Patterns at the Urban Scale
by Daniel Graça, Johnny Reis, Carla Gama, Alexandra Monteiro, Vera Rodrigues, Micael Rebelo, Carlos Borrego, Myriam Lopes and Ana Isabel Miranda
Sensors 2023, 23(4), 1859; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23041859 - 7 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1765
Abstract
Within the scope of the Aveiro STEAM City project, an air quality monitoring network was installed in the city of Aveiro (Portugal), to evaluate the potential of sensors to characterize spatial and temporal patterns of air quality in the city. The network consists [...] Read more.
Within the scope of the Aveiro STEAM City project, an air quality monitoring network was installed in the city of Aveiro (Portugal), to evaluate the potential of sensors to characterize spatial and temporal patterns of air quality in the city. The network consists of nine sensors stations with air quality sensors (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, O3 and CO) and two meteorological stations, distributed within selected locations in the city of Aveiro. The analysis of the data was done for a one-year measurement period, from June 2020 to May 2021, using temporal profiles, statistical comparisons with reference stations and Air Quality Indexes (AQI). The analysis of sensors data indicated that air quality variability exists for all pollutants and stations. The majority of the study area is characterized by good air quality, but specific areas—associated with hotspot traffic zones—exhibit medium, poor and bad air quality more frequently. The daily patterns registered are significantly different between the affected and non-affected road traffic sites, mainly for PM and NO2 pollutants. The weekly profile, significative deltas are found between week and weekend: NO2 is reduced on the weekends at traffic sites, but PM10 is higher in specific areas during winter weekends, which is explained by residential combustion sources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Threats)
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12 pages, 13061 KiB  
Article
Natural Materials Modified and Applied to the Detection of Drugs In Situ: Modification of Eggshell and Quantification of Oxytetracycline
by Helena I. A. S. Gomes and M. Goreti F. Sales
Sensors 2022, 22(15), 5746; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22155746 - 1 Aug 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1759
Abstract
This work describes a novel sensing system using eggshells as substrate for the first time, targeting the detection and semiquantitative determination of antibiotics in waters from aquaculture, enabling simple, inexpensive, and in situ drug monitoring. Eggshell was ground and the resulting powder was [...] Read more.
This work describes a novel sensing system using eggshells as substrate for the first time, targeting the detection and semiquantitative determination of antibiotics in waters from aquaculture, enabling simple, inexpensive, and in situ drug monitoring. Eggshell was ground and the resulting powder was modified by adsorption of suitable reagents, and it takes a typical colour after contact with the antibiotic. The colour intensity is correlated with the concentration of the antibiotic. This novel approach was applied to oxytetracycline, one of the antibiotics commonly used in aquaculture. The chemical changes on the eggshell powder were evaluated and optimised to produce an intense colour change as a function of the concentration of the antibiotic. The colour changes were evaluated by visual comparison with images taken with a digital camera, applying an appropriate mathematical treatment to the colour coordinates of the HSL system used by Windows. The selectivity of the response was tested against other antibiotic drugs. The materials were also used in the analysis of a spiked environmental water sample. Overall, this work presents a rapid, inexpensive, simple and equipment-free method for screening and discrimination of tetracycline drugs in aquaculture. The method is a green approach by reusing eggshells and decreasing the level of contamination correlated to analytical methods, thus being a promising tool for local, rapid, and cost-effective antibiotic monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Threats)
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15 pages, 3743 KiB  
Article
Research on Methane Measurement and Interference Factors in Coal Mines
by Xiushan Wu, Jiamin Cui, Renyuan Tong and Qing Li
Sensors 2022, 22(15), 5608; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22155608 - 27 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1928
Abstract
The detection of methane has always been an important part of coal mine safety. In order to improve the methane measurement accuracy in coal mines and to determine the influence of environmental interference factors on the measurement results, we designed a spherical, experimental [...] Read more.
The detection of methane has always been an important part of coal mine safety. In order to improve the methane measurement accuracy in coal mines and to determine the influence of environmental interference factors on the measurement results, we designed a spherical, experimental chamber simulating the on-site environment of an underground coal mine containing methane, in which various environmental interference factors can be superimposed. The simulation chamber can generate a uniform and controllable dust environment, a controllable methane environment with concentrations below that which would trigger an alarm, controllable humidity, and environments characterized by other interference factors. Based on computational simulations of the experimental chamber with varying dust-particle-concentration distributions using a single particle size, an optimal design for the chamber has been realized in terms of the rapid mixing of dust and the flow field. Finally, we constructed an underground methane concentration measurement system for coal mines and assessed the influences of different dust concentrations and relative humidity values on the performance of methane measurements, providing a means for improving the measurement accuracy of underground coal mine, spectral, absorption-type methane sensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Threats)
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14 pages, 2193 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Surface Ozone and Its Relationship with Meteorological Factors over the Beijing–Tianjin–Tangshan Region, China, from 2016 to 2019
by Linyan Bai, Jianzhong Feng, Ziwei Li, Chunming Han, Fuli Yan and Yixing Ding
Sensors 2022, 22(13), 4854; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22134854 - 27 Jun 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1978
Abstract
In recent years, ozone pollution has been increasing in some parts of the world. In this study, we used the Beijing–Tianjin–Tangshan (BJ-TJ-TS) urban agglomeration region as a case study and used satellite remotely sensed inversion data and hourly ground monitoring observations of surface [...] Read more.
In recent years, ozone pollution has been increasing in some parts of the world. In this study, we used the Beijing–Tianjin–Tangshan (BJ-TJ-TS) urban agglomeration region as a case study and used satellite remotely sensed inversion data and hourly ground monitoring observations of surface ozone concentrations, meteorological data, and other factors from 2016 to 2019 to explore the spatiotemporal dynamic characteristics of surface ozone concentration and its pollution levels. We also investigated their coupling relationships with meteorological factors, including temperature, pressure, relative humidity, wind velocity, and sunshine duration, in order to support the development of effective control measures for regional ozone pollution. The results revealed that the surface ozone concentration throughout the BJ-TJ-TS region from 2016 to 2019 exhibited an overall pattern of high values in the northwest and low values in the southeast, as well as an obvious difference between built-up and non-built-up areas (especially in Beijing). Meanwhile, a notable increasing trend of ozone levels was discovered in the BJ and TJ areas from 2016 to 2019, whereas this upward trend was not evident in the TS area. In all three areas, the highest monthly average ozone values occurred in the summer month of June, while the lowest monthly average levels occurred in the winter month of December. Their diurnal variation values reached a maximum value at approximately 3:00–4:00 p.m. and a minimum value at approximately 7:00 a.m. It is clear that high temperature, long sunshine duration, low atmospheric pressure, and weak wind velocity conditions, as well as certain relative humidity levels, readily led to high-concentration ozone pollution. Meanwhile, the daily average values of the five meteorological factors on days with Grade I and Grade II ozone pollution displayed different characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Threats)
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