Noda Kazutoshi, Marumoto Kohji, Aizawa Hidenobu
Environmental Management Research Institute (Previous Affiliation), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Onogawa 16-1, Tsukuba 305-8569, Ibarak, Japan.
Research Organization of Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Nojihigashi, Kusatsu 525-8577, Shiga, Japan.
Sensors (Basel). 2025 Aug 18;25(16):5118. doi: 10.3390/s25165118.
Mercury (Hg) is a globally recognized toxic element, and the Minamata Convention on Mercury entered into force in 2017 to address its associated risks. Under the United Nations Environment Programme, international efforts to reduce Hg emissions and monitor its environmental presence are ongoing. In support of these initiatives, we developed a simple and rapid mercury detection device based on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-Hg sensor), which utilizes the direct amalgamation reaction between Hg and a gold (Au) electrode. The experimental results demonstrated a proportional relationship between Hg concentration and the resulting oscillation frequency shift. Increased flow rates and prolonged measurement durations enhanced detection sensitivity. The system achieved a detection limit of approximately 1 µg/m, comparable to that of commercially available analyzers. Furthermore, a measurement configuration integrating the reduction-vaporization method with the QCM-Hg sensor enabled the detection of mercury in aqueous samples. Based on the experimental results and the gas-phase detection sensitivity achieved to date, concentrations as low as approximately 0.05 µg/L appear to be detectable. These findings highlight the potential of the QCM-Hg system for on-site mercury monitoring. This review aims to provide a comprehensive yet concise overview of QCM-Hg sensor development and its potential as a next-generation tool for environmental and occupational mercury monitoring.
汞（Hg）是一种全球公认的有毒元素，《汞问题水俣公约》于2017年生效，以应对与其相关的风险。在联合国环境规划署的支持下，国际社会正在持续努力减少汞排放并监测其在环境中的存在情况。为支持这些举措，我们基于石英晶体微天平（QCM-Hg传感器）开发了一种简单快速的汞检测装置，该装置利用汞与金（Au）电极之间的直接汞齐化反应。实验结果表明汞浓度与由此产生的振荡频率偏移之间存在比例关系。流速增加和测量持续时间延长可提高检测灵敏度。该系统实现了约1 µg/m的检测限，与市售分析仪相当。此外，将还原汽化法与QCM-Hg传感器相结合的测量配置能够检测水样中的汞。基于实验结果和迄今为止实现的气相检测灵敏度，低至约0.05 µg/L的浓度似乎也可检测到。这些发现凸显了QCM-Hg系统用于现场汞监测的潜力。本综述旨在全面而简洁地概述QCM-Hg传感器的发展及其作为环境和职业汞监测下一代工具的潜力。
