Portable bioactive paper-based sensor for quantification of pesticides

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) are widely used, posing risks due to toxic degradation products.
• Accurate and rapid detection methods for OPPs are crucial for environmental and food safety.
• Existing detection methods can be time-consuming, expensive, or require specialized equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a paper-based biosensor for the rapid and cost-effective detection of organophosphorus pesticide degradation products.
• To enhance the shelf-life of the biosensor using stabilizers like glucose or proteins.
• To quantify acetylcholine esterase (AChE) inhibitors, a common class of OPPs.

Main Methods:

• Development of a disposable, paper-based biosensor platform.
• Utilizing acetylcholine esterase (AChE) inhibition as the detection principle.
• Incorporation of glucose as a stabilizer to improve shelf-life and operational stability.
• Testing the biosensor's performance for malathion detection, including incubation time and detection limit.

Main Results:

• The paper-based biosensor successfully detected malathion, a representative organophosphorus pesticide.
• A low detection limit of 2.5 ppm was achieved with a short 5-minute incubation time.
• The biosensor demonstrated significant operational stability, maintaining function for 60 days when stored at 4°C with glucose stabilization.

Conclusions:

• The developed paper-based biosensor provides a fast, disposable, and accurate tool for detecting organophosphorus pesticide degradation products.
• The use of glucose as a stabilizer significantly enhances the shelf-life and reliability of the biosensor.
• This technology holds promise for on-site monitoring and risk assessment of pesticide contamination.