Human Skin-Cell-Based Sensor for Environmental Arsenic Detection and for Creating Social Awareness

Arsenic (As) toxicity is a significant threat to global public health. Moreover, the lacks of social awareness and understanding of the impact of As in affected communities are also of concern. Therefore, subppm level detection of As in environmental waters and associated public awareness are crucial for remediation programs. We developed a sustainable As sensing methodology by merging the fundamental concepts of As cytotoxicity with an alternative approach for selectivity. A cellular platform was prepared on an electrospun scaffold using As-sensitive keratinocyte cells. Arsenic-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) were quantified using a fluorimetric probe, 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin diacetate, commonly used to detect oxidative stress within cells. Experiments were conducted with a mixture of arsenite and arsenate, the predominant forms of As present in natural conditions, in a 1:1 ratio. We also quantified unknown As concentrations in real water samples. The selectivity to As was achieved by exposing the contaminated water composed of several ions to an As adsorbing material, namely, confined metastable 2-line ferrihydrite (CM2LF). An adsorption-desorption protocol enabled As extraction in field conditions. The ROS resulting from cells' responses to the As extract were used as the signature of As concentration. The sensor could precisely quantify even 5 ppb of As in tap water, and the theoretical limit of detection (LOD) was 2.7 ppb. A sustainable device using the cellular platform is proposed for As detection in field conditions that can also be used for social awareness, demonstrating the impact of As on human biology in affected regions.