Biodegradable Sensor Development For Environmental Monitoring Applications

Abstract

This study tackles the problem of electronic waste from traditional sensors by developing new biodegradable sensors for multi-faceted environmental monitoring. The goal was to design and characterize sensors made from eco-friendly materials which are non-toxic and biodegradable, to reduce the ecological footprint. In this study, we focused on material selection (cellulose, silk fibroin, biopolymers) and fabrication methods (ink-jet printing, lithography), along with electrochemical sensing of commonly monitored environmental parameters such as pH and conductivity. The data showed that, unlike traditional sensors, these biodegradable sensors have significant sustainability advantages without compromising performance, which can enable green monitoring networks.