3. Applications

3.1 In the environment

• Many MEMS applications address environmental issues, particularly those related to air quality and water quality.

  For example, MEMS-based multiparameter probes have revolutionized water quality monitoring by integrating several sensors into a compact device: temperature, pH (water acidity or alkalinity), viscosity (which indicates the presence of certain pollutants), specific ion sensors (nitrates, phosphates, heavy metals), or electrical conductivity sensors that provide an indication of the total amount of dissolved solids and therefore the presence or absence of inorganic pollutants.

  It is the extreme miniaturization of MEMS technologies that has...