Enzyme-based electrochemical biosensors for determination of organophosphorous and carbamate pesticides

A mini review of enzyme-based electrochemical biosensors for inhibition analysis of organophosphorous and carbamate pesticides is presented. Discussion includes the most recent literature to present advances in detection limits, selectivity and real sample analysis. Recent reviews on the monitoring of pesticides and their residues suggest that the classical analytical techniques of gas and liquid chromatography are the most widely used methods of detection(1,2). These techniques, although very accurate in their determinations, can be quite time consuming and expensive and usually require extensive sample clean up and pre-concentration. For these and many other reasons, the classical techniques are very difficult to adapt for field use. Numerous researchers, in the past decade, have developed and made improvements on biosensors for use in pesticide analysis. This mini review will focus on recent advances made in enzyme-based electrochemical biosensors for the determinations of organophosphorous and carbamate pesticides (Table 1).