Current overview and perspectives on carbon-based (bio)sensors for carbamate pesticides electroanalysis

Carbamate pesticides (CBMs) are esters and thioesters derived from carbamic acid, which are widely used to increase agricultural productivity and to protect human and animal health from insect-vector-mediated diseases. However, they can be highly toxic when not appropriately applied. Electrochemical carbon-based sensors and biosensors gather a plethora of advantages for reliable, low cost, rapid and even in loco quality control and surveillance of CBMs levels in all systems related to environmental and human health. Thus, this review presents a broad overview of the state-of-art of design and applications of these (bio)sensors for CBMs electroanalysis in environmental, food and biological matrices with emphasis in the role of the carbon (nano)materials. The latest advances and trends but also the main (bio)sensors limitations and research gaps are highlighted. Highly selective, robust and novel carbon-based (bio)sensors with multiplexing CBMs capability are envisaged to emerge shortly for in-field applicability. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.