Identification and detection of pesticide in chard samples by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using chemometric methods

Pesticide residues in food represent a significant threat to consumers. However, the fast detection of traces directly in samples involves a complex task. In this work, we explore the potential application of the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technique for the rapid measurement of pesticide residues in chard leaves by identifying them from the signal recording of the emission lines of P, S, C and Cl. They are subsequently jointly described through a principal components analysis (PCA) and grouping of the samples according to their pesticide was corroborated by means of a linear discriminant analysis (LDA), with an error rate of less than 9.5%. Moreover, differences can be observed in the classification of groups with a 95% confidence level. There is thus, clear evidence of the applicability of this technique as a potential tool for the study of pesticide residues in food matrices.

Automated summary

The potential application of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technique for rapid measurement of pesticide residues in chard leaves was explored in this study. The accuracy of this technique in studying pesticide residues in food matrices was confirmed through principal components analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), with an error rate of less than 9.5% and significant differences observed in group classification with a 95% confidence level.