A gas-phase biosensor for environmental monitoring of formic acid: laboratory and field validation.
In order to encourage more exposure measurements to be performed, a formic acid gas-phase biosensor has been developed for this purpose. In the present paper, an enzyme based biosensor has been validated with respect to analyte selectivity and on-site use. To ensure that the sampler developed measures the compound of interest the biosensor was exposed to three near structural homologues to formic acid, i.e. acetic acid, methanol and formaldehyde. These vapours were generated with and without formic acid and the only compound that was found to have an effect on the performance of the biosensor, albeit a small one, was acetic acid. The field test was performed in a factory using formic acid-containing glue for glulam products. In parallel to the measurements with the biosensor a well defined reference method was used for sampling and analysing formic acid. It was found that the biosensor worked satisfactorily in this environment when used in a stationary position. It was also shown that the biosensor could determine formic acid vapour concentrations down to 0.03 mg m(-3).
Chapter 10 Non-affinity sensing technology: the exploitation of biocatalytic events for environmental analysis
Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on well-recognized and emerging biocatalytic approaches that can be applied to the screening or monitoring of environmentally relevant chemical species for the assessment of good ecological and chemical status. The chapter discusses classic catalytic approaches and well-characterized enzyme reactions as well as other catalytic events in living systems that elicit useful bioanalytical information through catabolic activities. The exploitation of affinity interactions—in particular, immunoreactions—for environmental applications is presented. The chapter describes biosensors within the environmental area for the selection of specific parameters as well as the evaluation of the new monitoring or screening challenges to preserve the environment. The bioengineering tools that are currently expanding and improving the biocatalytic approach in environmental applications are presented in the chapter.
The museum environment
The Museum Environment is the first title in the Butterworth Series on Conservation in the Arts, Archaeology and Architecture. Part I of the book, intended for conservators and museum curators, describes the principles and techniques of controlling the environment so that the potentially damaging effects of light, humidity and air pollution on museum exhibits may be minimized. In Part II, the author, who is Scientific Advisor to the Trustees of the National Gallery in London and Head of its Scientific Department, brings together and summarizes information and data, hitherto widely scattered in the literature of diverse fields, which is essential to workers in conservation research. This series is published under the auspices of the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC) and with the support of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, Rome (ICCROM).