Paper-Based Electrochemiluminescent Screening for Genotoxic Activity in the Environment

A low cost, microfluidic paper electrochemical device (mu PED) was fabricated using screen printing of electrodes and heat transfer of patterned wax paper onto filter paper. The mu PED features films of a light-emitting ruthenium metallopolymer, microsomal metabolic enzymes, and DNA to detect potential genotoxic pollutant activity in environmental samples. Unlike conventional analytical methods that detect specific pollutant compounds, the mu PED was designed to rapidly measure the presence of genotoxic equivalents in environmental samples with the signal related to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) as a reference standard. The analytical end point is the detection of DNA damage from metabolites produced in the device using an electrochemiluminescence output measured with a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. Proof-of-concept of this measurement was established for smoke, water, and food samples. The mu PED provides a rapid screening tool for on-site environmental monitoring that specifically monitors the genotoxic reactivity of metabolites of toxic compounds present in the samples.