A chitosan-based sensing membrane for on-site and sensitive dual-channel portable detection and efficient adsorption of Pb2+ in groundwater

Shuangshuang Liu; Yueyue Wang; Xinyue Chang; Ning Li; Ningshuang Gao; Wenting Guo; Baodui Wang

doi:10.1016/j.aca.2025.343638

A chitosan-based sensing membrane for on-site and sensitive dual-channel portable detection and efficient adsorption of Pb²⁺ in groundwater

Anal Chim Acta. 2025 Feb 22:1340:343638. doi: 10.1016/j.aca.2025.343638. Epub 2025 Jan 10.

Authors

Shuangshuang Liu¹, Yueyue Wang², Xinyue Chang³, Ning Li³, Ningshuang Gao¹, Wenting Guo⁴, Baodui Wang⁵

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Gansu, Lanzhou, 730000, China; College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China.
² College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Gansu, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Gansu, Lanzhou, 730000, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Gansu, Lanzhou, 730000, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39863309
DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2025.343638

Abstract

The presence of lead ion (Pb²⁺) in groundwater poses a serious risk to human health, even at low levels. Therefore, it is essential to develop a new strategy for both selective detection and effective removal of Pb²⁺ in groundwater, which has been rarely reported. Here, we developed a multi-functional chitosan-based fluorescent sensing membrane (CM-L/CG) by using a casting method for the sensitive/selective detection and removal of Pb²⁺ in groundwater. The CM-L/CG membrane can be integrated into the portable laser-induced fluorescence spectrometer (LIFs) for on-site detection of Pb²⁺, with a low detection limit of 1.02 ppb. Moreover, the CM-L/CG membrane demonstrates an outstanding 99 % removal rate and an adsorption capacity of 247.6 mg g^-1 for Pb²⁺ and the adsorption process is mainly controlled by chemisorption. Importantly, the CM-L/CG membrane enables the real-time and on-site detection of Pb²⁺ in groundwater samples via a smartphone-based RGB (Red Green Blue) color analysis-assisted portable platform and portable LIFs-based platform, achieving acceptable results. This dual-functional fluorescent sensing membrane represents a breakthrough in environmental monitoring technology, offering a comprehensive solution for sensitive detection and efficient removal of Pb²⁺ from groundwater.

Keywords: CM-L/CG membrane; Efficient adsorption; LIFs; On-site detection; Pb(2+) ions.