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Scientists in China device a sensitive electrochemical method using bifunctional cerium oxide nanozyme to detect pesticide contamination in plants for human consumption.
Photo courtesy: LiuTao on Openverse
New Kid on the Block: Cerium Oxide Nanozyme Joins the Pesticide Detection Taskforce, According to Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis Study
Pesticides have become indispensable for modern agriculture, although their harmful effects on human health and the ecosystem are being reported every day. Monitoring of pesticide concentrations thus constitutes an entire area of active research. In a recent study, scientists from China have successfully developed a sensitive electrochemical detection method based on bifunctional cerium oxide nanozyme to detect the organophosphate pesticide, methyl-paraoxon, in plant extracts, adding to the ever-increasing pool of pesticide detection methods.
Organophosphates, like methyl-paraoxon, have grown in prominence as effective pest repellants for crops like cotton and legumes. Studies have shown that these pesticides remain in trace concentrations in the final produce, and cause severe ill effects in humans, including neuro-, embryo-, geno-, cyto-, and immunotoxicity. Hence, detecting and removing even trace amounts of organophosphates in consumed plant products is imperative.
Pesticide detection technologies are growing at a rapid pace worldwide. In this regard, a group of scientists in China have taken up the baton to advance pharmaceutical analysis of organophosphates in plants, beginning with methyl-paraoxon. Considering the therapeutic potentials of indigenous herbs, the scientists were concerned if these plants could be contaminated by methyl-paraoxon. As such, under the guidance of Dr. Peng Li, an expert in Chinese medicine and pharmaceutical analysis, from the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, China, they scouted for potential sensitive methyl-paraoxon detection methods.
Accordingly, their painstaking research to find detection methods led them to cerium oxide nanozyme. Speaking about their detection methodology, Dr. Li exclaims, “Under the optimized conditions, we achieved desirable recoveries for different herbal samples using cerium oxide nanozyme. We believe that our electrochemical method can be practically applied in the rapid detection of pesticide residues.” Their findings have been made public as a research article, which became available online on 8th September 2020, and was subsequently published in Volume 11 and Issue 5 of the https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpha.2020.09.002
