ENVIRONMENTAL

MONITORING
(in the eyes of a biologist)
JAN ROELOF VAN DER MEER
University of Lausanne
NANO-TERA MEETING MAY 5,2015

Me,
myself
and I

Environmental
monitoring in the
eyes of engineers

NASA/JPL Mars
Rover

WHY ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING?

CHEMICAL
EXPOSURE =
HEALTH RISK
ENVIRON CHANGES
= HABITAT

AL
MONITORIN
G

Specific location
Specific sample
Specific time
Lab analysis
Interpretation

URBAN HEAT

FOREST FIRES

DEEPWATER HORIZON SLICK

https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satmet/modul
es/

SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING

CHALLENGES AND KEY ADVANCES

SAMPLING LOCATIONS
grids, ad hoc networks,
autonomous, passive,
swarms
ANALYSIS METHODS
biology, simpler, faster,
precise
INTERPRETATION

NANO-TERA ENVIRONMENTAL
MONITORING PROJECTS

CabTuRes:
enabling autonomous
sensors based on
carbon nanotubules
IrSens:
Infrared sensing of
atmospheric pollutants
LiveSense:
Biological sensor tools
OpenSense:
Network communication
between sensors
Xsense:
wireless remote sensing
of rock changes and
avalanches

OpenSense II:
Crowdsourcing highresolution air quality
sensing
IrSens II:
A multicomponent sensor
for air pollutants and
greenhouse gases
X-Sense II:
MEMS acoustic detectors
for natural hazard warning
systems
Envirobot:
An anguilliform robot
tracking environmental
pollutants

As a comparative illustration:
FP7 Ocean of Tomorrow projects
2013 call:

12 collaborative projects
(~60 Mi , 8-25 partners each)

Key topics:

Rapid sensors for pollutants, toxins,

pathogens
Real-time and in-situ sensors,
autonomous platforms
Grid-based and ad hoc network
sensing, data communication

ADDING BIOLOGY TO THE ANALYSIS

LESS =
MORE?

WHY BIOASSAYS?
Very difficult to
correctly predict
ecotox risks from
chemical
concentrations
Use organisms to
make an
integrative
measurement or to
assay
bioavailability
Very difficult to
interpret reactions

Measuring heart beat rates of a crab

Picture: Ceri Lewis, Tamara Galloway
University of Exeter, UK

DIFFERENT
APPROACHES

In situ examination of
exposed organisms
Exposure of model
organisms under
standardized conditions
Use of cell cultures, single
cell models
Use of genetically
engineered single cell model
organisms
Use Pictures:
of isolated
biological
Eawag, UNIL, Uexeter, CSICcomponents
CNB

REAL-TIME IN-SITU (BIO)SENSORS

ENVIROBOT
(UNIL, EPFL, HES-SO,
Eawag)

FP7-BRAAVOO
(10 partners)

ENVIROBOT vs BRAAVOO

Flexible modules:
different exchangeable
sensors
Limited space
Mobile system,
operation 1 day

Fixed set of sensors

Less space constraints
Fixed position
Operational for 1 month

Envirobot

SENSOR TYPES

BRAAVOO

General physical sensors: Temperature,

camera, turbidity
General chemical sensors: pH, oxygen
Specific chemical targets: atrazine, lead,
copper
General
physical
sensors:
Temperature,
Biological
sensors:
general
distress, mercury
turbidity
General chemical sensors: pH, oxygen,
salinity,
Biological sensors:
Bacteria: general distress, mercury,
antibiotics, oil
Immunosensors: algal toxins, pesticides,

ENVIROBOTs BIOSENSORS
Daphnia movement
chamber

David Bonzon
EPFL-LMIS4

Clmence Roggo
(UNIL)

Bacteria movement
chamber

Benote
Bargeton
(UNIL)
David Bonzon

Milica Jovic
(EPFL)

IMMUNOSENSORS

Xenopus
oocyte sensor

Medium

RAINBOW TROUT
GILL CELLS

Response to pentachlorophenol
PCP
(in g/L)

Time [h]

Data: Vivian Lu, Eawag

Time [h]

R C

Impedance (%)

Impedance (%)

Response of the cells

by impedance
measurements.
Very robust cells
lifetime = months
SDS
Active at normal
water temperatures
(15-20C).

Lake Zurich

37 Priority
chemicals
Time
being tested
Sample 1
9 wastewater
treatment
samples
Exposed for 24 Sample 4
hours, gut cell
impedance loss
Sample 7

Tap water

L15ex

Sample 2

Sample 3

Sample 5

Sample 6

Sample 8

Sample 9

Data: Vivian Lu, Eawag

BENCHMARKING RAINBOW TROUT GILL

CELLS

HOW GOOD ARE BIOASSAYS?

B. sartisoli PAH sensor

E. coli C6-C11 alkane
sensor
E. coli BTEX sensor

Siham Beggah
(UNIL)

Bioavailable compound
for bioreporter cellsChemical analysis

SEAWATER CONCENTRATIONS

Cells are always

ready and active
for a sample
measurement

Siham Beggah
(UNIL)

AUTONOMOUS BACTERIA
REPORTER CHIP

Pressure-controlled valves
Current chip design:
operations up to 1 week
T20 min T1h50

T3h10

50 g As/L
Day 1
0 g As/L

Siham Beggah
(UNIL)

Day 2

Frederic Truffer
(HES-SO)

Integrating
biosensors into
the robot
modules

Milica Jovic

Sampling
mission
Analysis
mission
(physical and
chemical
sensors)
Analysis
mission
(biological
sensor)
Self guidance

Alessandro
Crespi (EPFL)

NEXT STEPS IN
ENVIROBOT

QUO VADIS environmental monitoring?

More data and faster!

Interpretation vs democratization?
Mitigation and action possibilities?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Envirobot Consortium
Thank you for your
attention