title: Electrochemical biosensor technology: application to pesticide detection.
abstract: In recent years, electrochemical sensors and biosensors are becoming an accepted part of analytical chemistry since they satisfy the expanding need for rapid and reliable measurements. An area in which electrochemical biosensors perhaps show the greatest diversity and potential for development involves the measurement of environmentally significant parameters. The increasing number of pollutants in the environment calls for fast and cost-effective analytical requirements. In this context, biosensors appear as suitable alternative or complementary analytical tools. The aim of this chapter is to review some basic concept concerning the electrochemical biosensors and to illustrate a protocol for the detection of environmental organic pollutants on the basis of electrochemical biosensors. In particular, a method based on the inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) for the detection of organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides will be described in detail.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Palchetti
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laschi
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mascini
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000737:chemistry*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis*; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004800:Enzymes, Immobilized / Q000737:chemistry; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D004800:Enzymes, Immobilized; D010575:Pesticides; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase