A review on nanostructure-based mercury (II) detection and monitoring focusing on aptamer and oligonucleotide biosensors

Heavy metal ion pollution is a severe problem in environmental protection and especially in human health due to their bioaccumulation in organisms. Mercury (II) (Hg2+), even at low concentrations, can lead to DNA damage and give permanent harm to the central nervous system by easily passing through biological membranes. Therefore, sensitive detection and monitoring of Hg2+ is of particular interest with significant specificity. In this review, aptamer-based strategies in combination with nanostructures as well as several other strategies to solve addressed problems in sensor development for Hg2+ are discussed in detail. In particular, the analytical performance of different aptamer and oligonucleotide-based strategies using different signal improvement approaches based on nanoparticles were compared within each strategy and in between. Although quite a number of the suggested methodologies analyzed in this review fulfills the standard requirements, further development is still needed on real sample analysis and analytical performance parameters. [Display omitted] •Sensitive detection and monitoring of Hg2+ is of particular interest with significant specifity.•Nanostructe-based aptamer and oligonucleotide biosensors for mercury (II) detection is reviewed.•Fluorescent-based, colorimetric, SERS-based, SPR-TIRE-based, and electrochemical sensing strategies are discussed.•A focus on analytical performance is presented using comparison tables.•A statistical information was also presented focusing on the years between 2010 and 2020.