Disposable Paper-Based Miniaturized Device for Sensing of Phthalates

One of the most frequent plasticizers that can cause endocrine disruption is phthalates. The phthalates are utilized in the production of consumer plastic items, leading to increase the risk of exposure of the items stored in water bottles, beverage drinks, and food. Furthermore, bioaccumulation and harmful consequences among animal life are also prevalent. Therefore, the detection of phthalates over a period of time is crucial in food safety and quality. The present work aims to develop a point-of-care, screen-printed, disposable paper device, for the detection of phthalates. The device was integrated with buckypaper for efficient detection of phthalates. Primarily, phthalates response was analyzed in the standard three-electrode system, where the buckypaper was used as a working electrode (WE). Furthermore, a paper device was fabricated using the screen-printing approach and the device was tested for phthalates sensing. The traditional approach and the screen-printed device exhibited a very similar electrocatalytic oxidation of phthalates at E = -0.25 V using the miniaturized portable Potentiostat, hence can be used for point-of-care analysis. Subsequently, various electrochemical parameters were also examined. The device provided a linear range of 70-15 ppm with a detection limit of 12.64 ppm and quantification limit as 42.03 ppm. Finally, the device was validated for repeatability and stability. As the analysis for real time sensing, local tap water was used with the standard addition method and the recovery percentages were remarkable. Based on the promising results and benchmarked form factor, this device has the potential to be used as a point-of-care testing platform.