Biosensor technology for pesticides--a review.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Pesticides enhance crop production but pose toxicological risks due to environmental persistence and accumulation.
• Conventional pesticide detection methods (e.g., HPLC, GC) are often slow, labor-intensive, and require specialized equipment.
• There is a critical need for sensitive, selective, rapid, and field-deployable methods for pesticide analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the effects and usage of pesticides.
• To explore 21st-century advancements in biosensor technology for pesticide detection.
• To discuss the integration of nanotechnology in biosensor development for enhanced pesticide monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on pesticide detection technologies.
• Summarization of various biosensor approaches including enzyme-based, antibody-based, aptamers, molecularly imprinted polymers, and biochips.
• Discussion of nanotechnology's role in advancing biosensor capabilities.

Main Results:

• Biosensors offer high sensitivity (detection limits of 10⁻⁶–10⁻¹⁶ M) and rapid response times (1–20 min).
• Developed biosensors demonstrate good storage stability (30–60 days) and applicability in diverse environmental samples (water, food, milk, juice).
• Various sensing elements and detection methods (electrochemical, optical, piezoelectric) have been employed.

Conclusions:

• Biosensor technology represents a significant advancement for sensitive, selective, and on-site pesticide detection.
• Nanotechnology integration further enhances biosensor performance for environmental and food safety applications.
• Ongoing research focuses on developing diverse biosensing techniques for comprehensive pesticide monitoring.