New trends in the electrochemical detection of endocrine disruptors in complex media

Abstract

Endocrine disruptors (EDCs) are substances existing in the environment which affect animal and human endocrine functions and cause diseases. A small quantity of EDCs can have a serious impact on the body. Currently, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and other traditional methods are used to detect EDCs. Although their sensitivity and reliability are good, these methods are complex, expensive, and not feasible to use in the field. Electrochemical techniques present good potential for the detection of EDCs owing to their low cost, simple, and wearable instrumentation. This paper presents the new trends in this field over the last 3 years. Some simple materials can allow some EDCs to be directly detected. New designs of biosensors, such as aptasensors, allow a femtomolar limit of detection to be reached. Many types of nanomaterial-based sensors were tested; carbonaceous nanomaterials, such as multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), associated or not with other types of nanoparticles were included in numerous designs. Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based sensors constitute an emerging field. All the presented electrochemical sensors were successfully tested for the detection of EDCs in different types of real samples.

Keywords: Biosensors; Electrochemical sensors; Endocrine disruptors; MIP; Nanomaterials.