Biosensors Nanotechnology

19Biosensors for Pesticide Detection

Hoang Vinh Tran*

School of Chemical Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam

Abstract

Pesticides (PTCs) are toxic organic compounds, including insecticides, herbicides, nematicides, acaricides, fungicides, and rodenticides, and are used in increasing yield in agricultural production. Most PTCs are neurotoxic compounds and have adverse effects on plants and foods when released into the environment (water, atmosphere, and soil). Most of scientific reports demonstrated that the PTCs irreversibly inhibit the acetylcholinesterase, which is an essential enzyme in the human central nervous system. The inhibitory effects of PTCs on muscular activity and vital organ functions finally result in serious symptoms and may lead to death. Traditional methods for PTC analysis are usually laborious procedures, require highly trained technicians, are time-consuming, and have high risk of errors. Biosensors are novel tools for PTC analysis, which are simple, highly selective, sensitive, cost effective, portable size, and have high response. Therefore, PTC biosensors are considered important tools for recognizing PTCs in food and environmental monitoring.

Keywords: Pesticide, biosensor, enzymatic biosensor, aptasensor, immunosensor, electrochemical, nanoparticle, detection

Abbreviations

FAO	Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FAOSTAT	Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database