New method to detect a trace amount of organic substances using a lipid membrane sensor

Abstract

This paper describes an application of taste sensor for detection of a trace amount of organic substances. This sensor consists of multichannel sensors with lipid membranes which are modeled on living organisms. One of characteristics of this sensor is a global selectivity. We discovered that organic substances have large influences on the adsorption of a plus charged lipid (additive in a solution) to a lipid membrane made by minus charged lipid. Using this method, some of organic substances, such as oil, Trichioroethylene and Di-2-ethylhexylphthalate, could be detected about 100ppb within five minutes. In conclusion, the taste sensor has a possibility for real-time monitoring of water quality using this new methods.