Advances in Microfluidics Techniques for Rapid Detection of Pesticide Residues in Food

Abstract

Food safety is a significant issue that affects people worldwide and is tied to their lives and health. The issue of pesticide residues in food is just one of many issues related to food safety, which leave residues in crops and are transferred through the food chain to human consumption. Foods contaminated with pesticide residues pose a serious risk to human health, including carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, and endocrine disruption. Although traditional methods, including gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, chromatography, and mass spectrometry, can be used to achieve a quantitative analysis of pesticide residues, the disadvantages of these techniques, such as being time-consuming and costly and requiring specialist staff, limit their application. Therefore, there is a need to develop rapid, effective, and sensitive equipment for the quantitative analysis of pesticide residues in food. Microfluidics is rapidly emerging in a number of fields due to its outstanding strengths. This paper summarizes the application of microfluidic techniques to pyrethroid, carbamate, organochlorine, and organophosphate pesticides, as well as to commercial products. Meanwhile, the study also outlines the development of microfluidics in combination with 3D printing technology and nanomaterials for detecting pesticide residues in food.

Keywords: food samples; microfluidic; pesticide residues; rapid detection.

Scheme 1

Microfluidic-technology-based schematic diagram for the detection of food pesticide residues.

Figure 1

Schematic diagram of organophosphate fluorescence detection based on enzyme-inhibited recovery reaction. (Reprinted/adapted with permission from Ref. [24]. Copyright 2019 Biosensors & Bioelectronics).

Figure 2

(A) Schematic diagram of 2D μPAD. (B) Fluorescence detection image. (C) Schematic diagram of 3D μPAD. (Reprinted/adapted with permission from Ref. [25]. Copyright 2023 Biosensors & Bioelectronics).

Figure 3

(A) Schematic diagram of a microfluidic device. (B) Solution mixing procedure diagram. (a) The first step is to introduce the reaction solution into the mainstream channel. (b–d) Measure the volume using the auxiliary runner and discard the main runner section. (e) The two solutions merge in the main channel. (f) Transport the new plug to the sensing area. (Reprinted/adapted with permission from Ref. [56]. Copyright 2014 Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical).

Figure 4

(A) Schematic diagram of μPAD when adding pesticides. (B) Schematic diagram of μPAD in the absence of pesticides. (C) Drawing of design of μPAD. (Reprinted/adapted with permission from Ref. [57]. Copyright 2020 Talanta).

Figure 5

(A) Internal structure diagram of a microfluidic chip. (B) Schematic diagram of the detection principle. (C) Schematic diagram of a 3D-printed, four-layer microfluidic chip. (D) Schematic diagram of the device used to inspect the chip. (Reprinted/adapted with permission from Ref. [23]. Copyright 2021 Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical).

Figure 6

(A) Schematic diagram of the detection principle of acetylcholinesterase inhibition based on the electrochemical method. (B) Schematic diagram of pesticide testing system. (Reprinted/adapted with permission from Ref. [59]. Copyright 2013 Analytica Chimica Acta).

Figure 7

(A) Schematic diagram of the equipment. (B) Schematic diagram of fluorescence detection. (Reprinted/adapted with permission from Ref. [60]. Copyright 2022 Food Chemistry).

Figure 8

(A) Schematic diagram of pyrethroid hydrolysis. (B) Schematic diagram of the detection of paper-based microfluidic device. (C) Schematic diagram of color reaction with pyrethroid. (D) Design and dimensioning of the device. (Reprinted/adapted with permission from Ref. [61]. Copyright 2020 Sensors).