Flexible sensors platform for determination of cadmium concentration in soil samples

Abstract

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. Efficient monitoring and measuring concentrations of heavy metals in soil is one of the utmost needs in environmental monitoring. This work describes a portable sensors platform for determination of concentration of heavy metals, in our case cadmium, in soil samples. Using a cost-effective xurographic PVC foils-based technique, transparent multilayer interdigitated gold-electrodes structure, with two sensors, was fabricated. The transparent sensor platform was tested measuring capacitance by means of an Impedance Analyzer and the obtained results indicated that capacitance increases with increased concentration of cadmium in soil sample. The proposed platform in combination with our portable impedance analyzer, enable fast, “green” on-site measurement of heavy metals in soil, thus, avoiding the use of some toxic chemicals necessary for sample preparation and analysis by commercial analytical instrumentations, providing less negative effects on humans’ health and environment.