A paper-analytical device for detecting bisphenol-A in foods

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Bisphenol A (BPA) is a plastic monomer that can leach into food.
• Long-term exposure to BPA can cause adverse health effects.
• Sensitive and accessible detection methods for BPA in food are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop simple paper-analytical devices (PADs) for detecting Bisphenol A (BPA) in food samples.
• To optimize the detection conditions for the developed PADs.
• To evaluate the performance of PADs in real food matrices.

Main Methods:

• Paper-analytical devices (PADs) were fabricated using wax printing to create hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas.
• Detection zones were modified with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for immobilizing BPA-bovine serum albumin (BSA).
• Monoclonal antibodies against BPA were conjugated with quantum dots (QDs) to form QD-antibody (QD-Ab) probes for sensitive detection.

Main Results:

• Optimized detection conditions involved 0.1 μg of BPA-BSA and 30-fold diluted QD-Ab probes.
• The developed PADs achieved a detection limit of 0.098 μg L⁻¹ using ImageJ analysis.
• Recovery rates for BPA in various food samples (drinking water, green tea, peanut oil) ranged from 78.77% to 118.96%.

Conclusions:

• The developed paper-analytical devices (PADs) provide a simple, sensitive, and cost-effective method for detecting Bisphenol A (BPA) in real food samples.
• The PADs demonstrate good performance and recovery rates across different food matrices, indicating their practical applicability.
• This technology offers a promising tool for routine monitoring of BPA contamination in food products.