Water monitoring using polymer inclusion membranes: a review

Water monitoring by conventional analytical methods is often complicated, time-consuming and laborious, requiring highly skilled personnel, thus calling for simpler, rapid and cost-effective methods. Polymer inclusion membranes (PIM) are of interest in environmental analysis due to their selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of a wide range of analytes such as metals. PIM have been used in the development of passive sampling, analyte separation and preconcentration, and sensing. PIM are also suitable for the automation of chemical analysis. Here we review PIM applications in environmental water monitoring.