Advanced Analytical Techniques for the Measurement of Nanomaterials in Food and Agricultural Samples: A Review

Abstract

Nanotechnology offers substantial prospects for the development of state-of-the-art products and applications for agriculture, water treatment, and food industry. Profuse use of nanoproducts will bring potential benefits to farmers, the food industry, and consumers, equally. However, after end-user applications, these products and residues will find their way into the environment. Therefore, discharged nanomaterials (NMs) need to be identified and quantified to determine their ecotoxicity and the levels of exposure. Detection and characterization of NMs and their residues in the environment, particularly in food and agricultural products, have been limited, as no single technique or method is suitable to identify and quantify NMs. In this review, we have discussed the available literature concerning detection, characterization, and measurement techniques for NMs in food and agricultural matrices, which include chromatography, flow field fractionation, electron microscopy, light scattering, and autofluorescence techniques, among others.

Keywords: agriculture; food products; measurement; nanoparticles.

FIG. 1.

List of available separation and detection techniques for the measurement of nanomaterials (NMs)/nanoparticles (NPs) in food and agriculture products. AFM, atomic force microscopy; CE, capillary electrophoresis; DLS, dynamic light scattering; EDS/EDX, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy; EM, electron microscopy; ETEM/ESEM, environmental TEM or SEM; FIB, focused ion beam; HPLC/UPLC, high- or ultra-performance liquid chromatography; ICP, inductively coupled plasma; LIBD, laser-induced breakdown detection; MALS, multiangle light scattering; MS, mass spectrometry; OES, optical emission spectrometry; PALS, phase analysis light scattering; SDC, sample displacement chromatography; SEM, scanning EM; SERS, surface enhanced Raman scattering; SLS, static light scattering; SPR, surface plasmon resonance; TEM, transmission EM; UV-vis, ultraviolet-visible.

FIG. 2.

Different steps for measuring NMs/NPs present in food and agricultural samples along with their corresponding analytical tools/techniques. SAED, selected area electron diffraction; XRD, X-ray diffraction.