Interest for Environmental Application

Artificial, but biological-inspired odour measurement methods constitute attractive alternatives to the use of human panels to assess the odour pollution in the environment. The evaluation of odour annoyance in the field requires indeed objective approaches and, if possible, means to monitor relevant odorants by a continuous way, even in complex mixtures. 

One of the main advantages of the electronic nose for malodour measurement is the possibility to use it as a field continuous monitor of odorous emissions (Nicolas and Romain 2000). This technique has probably the best potentialities to answer to the expectations of the various actors of the environmental problems in relation with the odour annoyance. 

---

The results presented here demonstrate the first successful applications of the concept of electroenzymatic synthesis. However, it is also obvious that many more systems are potentially very interesting for synthetic applications. This area is wide open for further creative research and only the tip of the iceberg has surfaced. What is especially promising is the fact that electroenzymatic synthesis is an environmentally friendly technique using the electrode as a clean reagent and the enzymes for high selectivity. Closed systems for technical applications are easier to realize than in many other areas. The author is convinced that industrial syntheses of valued small scale products will be seen in the near future. 

Molecular probe dyes for the determination of potassium, lithium, and sodium have been identified. Additionally, an NIR probe selective for potassium has been fabricated. The detection limits of this probe are in the ppm range. Lower detection limits may be achieved by varying the matrix which allows the entrapment of ions. Preliminary data for the detection of lead and cadmium demonstrate the potential capability of these probes for environmental applications. The development of OFMP for the detection of other ions of environmental interest such as Be2+, Hg2+, As3+, and Ni2+ is currently underway. 

The design of a polymer-based system requires understanding both the steady state and transient behavior in response to the substrate or analyte of interest. For sensor applications, this information is obtained during the operation of the sensor. However, for other applications of environmentally sensitive polymers, such as drag delivery systems, the polymer response to the substrate/analyte is not usually studied directly. Our work with the pAAm/GO/PR system illustrates the usefulness of an in situ probe to measure what governs the membrane s performance in response to the substrate/analyte and how to analyze it. We continue to use this valuable information in the further... 

The main advantage of such devices is the wide concentration range for which ions can be detected, generally 10 6-10 1 mol/L. Their continuous measurement capability is also an interesting possibility for environmental applications. The apparatus is inexpensive, portable, and is well suited for in situ measurements. The main disadvantage is that the limit of detection in some kinds of environmental samples can be rather high (10s mol/L) and the selectivity can be rather poor. 

The increasing strong interest in biodegradable materials for drug delivery systems and other biomedical uses, as well as for environmental applications, prompted us to evaluate their enzymatic degradation. 

Passivation of iron granulates in permeable barriers used for in situ groundwater remediation may result in a shorter life time and in contaminant breakthrough earlier than expected. Therefore, mineral reactions or generally the effect of other groundwater constituents on the long term reactivity of iron is of major interest for the application of this technology in environmental clean up. For interpretation of column experiments it is also important to estimate the effect of flow velocity on the extent of passivation due to mineral reactions. 

Conjugated conducting polymers, not new to the field of electrochromics, have experienced a surge of interest for their applications in electrochromic displays and windows in the past decade. Yet, much recent work has focused on utilization of these materials in areas outside the typical display/window device, such as the previously mentioned mechanical actuators, LEDs, photovoltaics, capacitors, and antistatic coatings. Meanwhile, the field of electrochromics of conducting polymers sees the introduction of new polymers with ever-improving physical properties, such as processability and environmental stability, in a wide range of colors and spectral properties. 

The possibility of regenerating chitosan for reuse in at least 14 cycles was also demonstrated (Spagna et al. 2000). The low price of chitosan and its possible reuse, with consequently reduced environmental impact, are all factors that make this biopolymer particularly interesting for industrial applications in winemaking as compared to caseinate. 

Future work in this area must focus on research on toxicity and may address environmental pollution materials and meta-materials in two- and three-dimensional objects. These same objects may be useful in disinfecting pathogens that can survive for long times in the form of surface biofihns. Biofilms are currently the most common and dangerous way to spread highly infectious pathogens into the environment in pubic places and health-care facilities. New products developed from research in this area could be of interest for industrial applications. 

From a theoretical point of view, PT has been often considered an excellent model for the study of charge transport in conducting polymers with a nondegenerate ground state. Moreover, the high environmental stability and the structural versatility of this polymer have aroused considerable interest for possible applications... 

---