ABSTRACT
Water is essential for all living organisms and by far the most abundant compound on our planet. Unfortunately, only at first glance does water seem like an unlimited resource. Its unique chemical properties make it an almost universal solvent, allowing accumulation of chemical compounds beyond tolerable concentrations. Moreover, it creates an environment for microorganisms and viruses that may exert severe health issues. Clearly, this generates serious concerns about hazard risks associated with poor water quality for human health, which are currently acknowledged by policy makers through extended guidelines and regulations. In the future, however, the situation will come to a head as only urban regions will have to cope with world population growth [1], leading to an increasing number of extreme urban environments called megacities. Hence, within a very short time, established and proven urban water treatment facilities will be challenged to the limit by denser waste streams, new emerging contaminants, and generally increasing costs for wastewater monitoring and treatment. Biotechnology takes advantage of the creativity shown
10.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................297 10.2 Biosensor Technology ................................................................................... 298
10.2.1 Biosensor Design .............................................................................. 298 10.2.2 Biosensor Recognition Elements ......................................................299
