Challenges of Using Whole-Cell Bioreporter for Assessment of Heavy Metal Bioavailability in Soil/Sediment
Soil and sediment contamination with heavy metals (HMs) is a critical environmental issue, posing significant risks to both ecosystems and human health. Whole-cell bioreporter (WCB) technology offers a promising alternative to traditional detection techniques due to its ability to rapidly assess the...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Biosensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6374/15/4/260 |
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| author | Shanshan Bai Zhipeng Liu Jiazhi Xu Yongshuo Li Zirun Zhang Zefeng Huang Williamson Gustave Boling Li Xiaokai Zhang Feng He |
| author_facet | Shanshan Bai Zhipeng Liu Jiazhi Xu Yongshuo Li Zirun Zhang Zefeng Huang Williamson Gustave Boling Li Xiaokai Zhang Feng He |
| author_sort | Shanshan Bai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Soil and sediment contamination with heavy metals (HMs) is a critical environmental issue, posing significant risks to both ecosystems and human health. Whole-cell bioreporter (WCB) technology offers a promising alternative to traditional detection techniques due to its ability to rapidly assess the bioavailability of pollutants. Specifically, lights-on WCBs quantify pollutant bioavailability by measuring bioluminescence or fluorescence in response to pollutant exposure, demonstrating comparable accuracy to traditional methods for quantitative pollutant detection. However, when applied to soil and sediment, the signal intensity directly measured by WCBs is often attenuated due to interference from solid particles, leading to the underestimation of bioavailability. Currently, no standardized method exists to correct for this signal attenuation. This review provides a critical analysis of the benefits and limitations of traditional detection methods and WCB technology in assessing HM bioavailability in soil and sediment. Based on the approaches used to address WCB signal attenuation, correction methods are categorized into four types: the assumed negligible method, the non-inducible luminescent control method, the addition of a standard to a reference soil, and a pre-exposure bioreporter. We provide a comprehensive analysis of each method’s applicability, benefits, and limitations. Lastly, potential future directions for advancing WCB technology are proposed. This review seeks to establish a theoretical foundation for researchers and environmental professionals utilizing WCB technology for pollutant bioavailability assessment in soil and sediment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d415a97f625341d3b5da67d643b34d26 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2079-6374 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biosensors |
| spelling | doaj-art-d415a97f625341d3b5da67d643b34d262025-08-20T03:14:27ZengMDPI AGBiosensors2079-63742025-04-0115426010.3390/bios15040260Challenges of Using Whole-Cell Bioreporter for Assessment of Heavy Metal Bioavailability in Soil/SedimentShanshan Bai0Zhipeng Liu1Jiazhi Xu2Yongshuo Li3Zirun Zhang4Zefeng Huang5Williamson Gustave6Boling Li7Xiaokai Zhang8Feng He9Institute of Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, School of Environment and Ecology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, ChinaInstitute of Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, School of Environment and Ecology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, ChinaInstitute of Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, School of Environment and Ecology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, ChinaInstitute of Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, School of Environment and Ecology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, ChinaInstitute of Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, School of Environment and Ecology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, ChinaInstitute of Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, School of Environment and Ecology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, ChinaSchool of Chemistry, Environmental & Life Sciences, University of the Bahamas, Nassau 4912, BahamasSchool of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215123, ChinaInstitute of Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, School of Environment and Ecology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, ChinaInstitute of Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, School of Environment and Ecology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, ChinaSoil and sediment contamination with heavy metals (HMs) is a critical environmental issue, posing significant risks to both ecosystems and human health. Whole-cell bioreporter (WCB) technology offers a promising alternative to traditional detection techniques due to its ability to rapidly assess the bioavailability of pollutants. Specifically, lights-on WCBs quantify pollutant bioavailability by measuring bioluminescence or fluorescence in response to pollutant exposure, demonstrating comparable accuracy to traditional methods for quantitative pollutant detection. However, when applied to soil and sediment, the signal intensity directly measured by WCBs is often attenuated due to interference from solid particles, leading to the underestimation of bioavailability. Currently, no standardized method exists to correct for this signal attenuation. This review provides a critical analysis of the benefits and limitations of traditional detection methods and WCB technology in assessing HM bioavailability in soil and sediment. Based on the approaches used to address WCB signal attenuation, correction methods are categorized into four types: the assumed negligible method, the non-inducible luminescent control method, the addition of a standard to a reference soil, and a pre-exposure bioreporter. We provide a comprehensive analysis of each method’s applicability, benefits, and limitations. Lastly, potential future directions for advancing WCB technology are proposed. This review seeks to establish a theoretical foundation for researchers and environmental professionals utilizing WCB technology for pollutant bioavailability assessment in soil and sediment.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6374/15/4/260biosensorbioluminescencesoil pollutionenvironmental risk assessmentsignal transmission |
| spellingShingle | Shanshan Bai Zhipeng Liu Jiazhi Xu Yongshuo Li Zirun Zhang Zefeng Huang Williamson Gustave Boling Li Xiaokai Zhang Feng He Challenges of Using Whole-Cell Bioreporter for Assessment of Heavy Metal Bioavailability in Soil/Sediment Biosensors biosensor bioluminescence soil pollution environmental risk assessment signal transmission |
| title | Challenges of Using Whole-Cell Bioreporter for Assessment of Heavy Metal Bioavailability in Soil/Sediment |
| title_full | Challenges of Using Whole-Cell Bioreporter for Assessment of Heavy Metal Bioavailability in Soil/Sediment |
| title_fullStr | Challenges of Using Whole-Cell Bioreporter for Assessment of Heavy Metal Bioavailability in Soil/Sediment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Challenges of Using Whole-Cell Bioreporter for Assessment of Heavy Metal Bioavailability in Soil/Sediment |
| title_short | Challenges of Using Whole-Cell Bioreporter for Assessment of Heavy Metal Bioavailability in Soil/Sediment |
| title_sort | challenges of using whole cell bioreporter for assessment of heavy metal bioavailability in soil sediment |
| topic | biosensor bioluminescence soil pollution environmental risk assessment signal transmission |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6374/15/4/260 |
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