UC Ph.D. student receives award for algal toxin-detection research

"Initially, it is important to know if a reservoir is impacted by a cyanobacteria bloom, so drinking-water operators can adjust their management strategies accordingly," says Vogiazi. "If these toxins get to a water treatment plant, contaminated water may be much more difficult to treat. Because these molecules are very tiny, conventional treatment processes are not always efficient in removing these toxins."

The biosensor that Vogiazi and the team are working on aims to monitor microcystins on-site, like in rivers or lakes. The team is developing electrodes within the biosensor using nanomaterials like 3D graphene and carbon nanotubes. These materials have high electrical conductivity and a larger surface area, both advantageous when building a biosensor.

When toxins link onto the nanostructured electrodes, the researchers can then use different electrochemical techniques and strategies to detect and quantify microcystins in the various water samples.   

After running optimization tests to determine the most efficient sensor, the team will collaborate with Greater Cincinnati Waterworks to use the sensor on real-world water samples.

"When developing a sensor, testing the sensor performance with real water samples is a challenging but vital part of the process," says Vogiazi.

The team's work can have great impacts around the world and is a reflection of UC's strategic direction, Next Lives Here. 

From an early age, Vogiazi saw the importance of having access to safe drinking water. Vogiazi is originally from a small island on the Mediterranean in Greece called Symi. Growing up, Vogiazi recalls the major water problems that her hometown faced. Because of the lack of rivers and lakes, the island had to import its water from other parts of Greece. Today, the island uses desalination techniques to convert seawater into fresh water, but even this use of manufactured water is limited to irrigation and not necessarily for drinking.

Now, the research Vogiazi and the team at UC are conducting will provide a significant step forward in water-quality monitoring. Though the team is currently working with Southwestern Ohio issues, they hope to apply this work to large bodies of fresh water like the Great Lakes and other at-risk international lakes and rivers.

As global pollution grows, climate change revs up and toxins find their way into freshwater supplies, ensuring safe drinking water is critical for the coming decades. With a better system for finding dangerous toxins in our drinking supplies, current and future generations will have better ways to use the limited water they have.

Featured image at top: A satellite image of an algal bloom in Lake Erie, the shallowest and warmest of all the Great Lakes. Photo/NASA