Electrochemical Methods for Ammonia Nitrogen Detection—a Review

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Over the last decades, considerable research efforts have been devoted to the determination of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) due to its critical importance across several fields. This review aims to highlight the potential of electrochemical methods for ammonia nitrogen sensing, with emphasis on potentiometric, amperometric, and conductometric approaches. It begins by addressing the chemical and biological relevance of ammonia in diverse contexts, ranging from vital physiological functions in the human body (urea cycle, disease biomarker), quality parameter in drinking water to its key involvement in environmental processes (the nitrogen cycle), and food safety and industrial applications (e.g., livestock, agriculture). Then, a general overview of the main methods for ammonia nitrogen quantification is provided. After that, most impacting achievements on electrochemical methods for ammonia nitrogen sensing are discussed from several perspectives, including selectivity in complex environments, sensitivity and detection levels achieved, improvements in set-up design and functionality (such as simplicity, cost-effectiveness, miniaturization for on-site, real-time, and continuous monitoring), and multiplex detection capabilities. In addition, current limitations of ammonia electroanalytical approaches, future perspectives, and emerging research trends in TAN sensing technologies are addressed in a dedicated chapter. Finally, the last section focuses on current achievements of state-of-the-art electrochemical solutions for ammonia nitrogen detection and highlights their substantial advances over conventional analytical methods.