Pesticides are commonly being used on a large scale in agricultural practices to increase productivity but have created a negative impact on human health, environment and ecological balance. Thus, there is a need for development of an appropriate sensors based on nanomaterials, such as quantum dots (QDs) and gold nanoparticles (GNPs). These smart materials possess unique properties useful for biosensing applications. We have successfully made use of these NPs for the sensitive detection of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), methyl parathion (MP) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) based on competitive immunoassay technique. Cadmium Telluride (CdTe QD) was employed for the detection of 2,4-D and MP at 250 pgmL-1 and 100 pgmL-1 levels respectively. A GNPs-based dipstick technique was developed to detect DDT at nanogram level. These techniques possess several advantages in terms of rapidity, specificity and cost effectiveness allowing for on-site testing of pesticides. Hence, nanobiosensor systems are bringing about a revolution in the field of food and environmental safety.

Nanoparticles based  biosensing techniques  for sensitive detection of  pesticides

243rd National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.