Emergent analytical techniques for mercury sensing in aquatic environments | Poster Board #3001

Environmental emissions of mercury from industrial waste and natural sources, even in trace amounts, are toxic to organisms and ecosystems. However, industrial-scale mercury detection is limited by the high cost, low sensitivity/specificity, and poor selectivity of the available analytical tools. Herein, we summarize the key sensors for mercury detection in aqueous environments: colorimetric-, electrochemical-, fluorescence-, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy-based sensors. Then, we compare the performances of these sensors for the determination of inorganic mercury (Hg²⁺) and methyl mercury (CH₃Hg⁺) species in aqueous samples. Mercury sensors for aquatic applications still face serious challenges in terms of difficult deployment in remote areas and low robustness, reliability, and selectivity in harsh environments. We provide future perspectives on the selective detection of organomercury species, which are especially toxic and reactive in aquatic environments.