Detection of DDT and carbaryl pesticides in honey by means of immunosensors based on high fundamental frequency quartz crystal microbalance (HFF-QCM)

BACKGROUND In recent years there has been a concern about the presence of pesticides in honey because residues of DDT and carbaryl were found in honey samples. Traditional techniques, such as chromatography, reach the required limits of detection (LOD) but are not suitable for in situ implementation in the honey-packaging industry due to their high cost and the need for highly qualified staff for routine operation. Biosensors offer simplicity, low cost, and easy handling for analytical purposes in food applications. RESULTS Piezoelectric immunosensors based on high fundamental frequency quartz crystal microbalance (HFF-QCM) have been developed for the detection of carbaryl and DDT in honey. Biorecognition was based on competitive immunoassays in the conjugate-coated format, using monoclonal antibodies as specific immunoreagents. The assay LODs attained by the HFF-QCM immunosensors were 0.05 mu g L-1 for carbaryl and 0.24 mu g L-1 for DDT, reaching a similar level of detectability to that of the usual reference techniques. The practical LODs in honey samples were 8 mu g kg(-1) for carbaryl and 24 mu g kg(-1) for DDT. The immunosensors' analytical performance allow the detection of these pesticides in honey at EU regulatory levels with good accuracy (recovery percentages ranging from 94% to 130% within the working range of each pesticide standard curve) and precision (coefficients of variation in the 9-36% range). CONCLUSION The proposed immunosensor is a promising analytical tool that could be implemented for quality control in the honey packaging industry, to simplify and to reduce the cost of the routine pesticide analysis in this appreciated natural food. (c) 2020 Society of Chemical Industry