A real-time microfluidic surveillance system for multiplex detection of heavy metal contamination in wastewater

Water pollution, particularly from heavy metals, poses a critical threat to ecosystems and human health. This study integrates the CRISPR-Cas12a system with MOF-based bio-barcode technology to create a platform for the rapid, real-time and on-site detection of multiple heavy metal ions, demonstrating exceptional sensitivity and selectivity. The detection limits for Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Hg²⁺ are 0.26 nM, 0.06 nM, and 0.80 nM, respectively. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry analysis of real water samples confirmed the high accuracy and reliability of this method. Furthermore, a mobile phone-assisted portable device paired with a microfluidic chip facilitates real-time, rapid multi-channel metal ion detection in resource-limited settings.