Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy in environmental analysis, monitoring and assessment

Environmental pollution is usually monitored via mass spectrometry-based approaches. Such techniques are extremely sensitive but have several disadvantages. The instruments themselves are expensive, require specialized training to use and usually cannot be taken into the field. Samples also usually require extensive pre-treatment prior to analysis which can affect the final result. The development of analytical methods that matched the sensitively of mass spectrometry but that could be deployed in the field and require minimal sample processing would be highly advantageous for environmental monitoring. One method that may meet these criteria is Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). This is a surface-sensitive technique that enhances Raman scattering by molecules adsorbed on rough nanostructure surfaces such as gold or silver nanoparticles. SERS gives selective spectral enhancement such that increases in sensitivity of 1010 to 1014 have been reported. While this means SERS is, theoretically at least, capable of single molecule detection such a signal enhancement is hard to achieve in practice. In this review the background of SERS is introduced for the environmental scientist and the recent literature on the detection of several classes of environmental pollutants using this technique is discussed. For heavy metals the lowest limit of detection reported was 0.45 μg/L for Mercury; for pharmaceuticals, 2.4 μg/L for propranolol; for endocrine disruptors, 0.35 μg/L for 17β-estradiol; for perfluorinated compounds, 500 μg/L for perfluorooctanoic acid and for inorganic pollutants, 37g/L for general pesticide markers. The signal enhancements achieved in each case show great promise for the detection of pollutants at environmentally relevant concentrations and, although it does not yet routinely match the sensitivity of mass spectrometry. Further work to develop SERS methods and apply them for the detection of contaminants could be of wide benefit for environmental science. [Display omitted] •Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) based environmental analysis is assessed.•Reported limits of detection of a range of pollutants are collated and summarised.•SERS can potentially match mass spectrometry in terms of sensitivity.•Increasing reproducibility of SERS techniques is important for future applications.•An overview of the key challenges and potential solutions is provided.