ABSTRACT
Curtailment of pollution of air, water and soil to the minimum achievable limit is an essential requirement for assuring good quality of life to all living creatures inhabiting our planet: humans, animals and plant. Because environmental problems originate from human tasks, environment becomes a sociological topic. For enforcing regulatory standards of pollution monitoring caused by life-threatening effluents and emissions from anthropogenic activities, there is a dire necessity of ultrasensitive nanosensors. Nanosensors for air pollutants include devices for detection of particulate matter and abhorrent gases such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and volatile organic compounds. Among nanosensors for water pollution, the devices described are those for pathogens, namely E. Coli, Vibrio Cholerae and Cholera toxin, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Legionella Pneumophila; metals such as mercury (II), lead (II), As(III), Cr(VI), Cd2+ and Cu2+ions; and pesticides such as DDT, 2, 4-D, carbofuran, methomyl, dimethoate, atrazine, paroxon-ethyl, acetamiprid, HB, MLT and DTCs.
