A highly sensitive reusable electrochemical sensor for detecting the pesticide carbosulfan in food products has been developed by scientists at Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) in collaboration with their colleagues.

According to the researchers, the sensor is ten times more sensitive to this life-threatening substance compared to existing analogs. The results of the study were published in the scientific journal Microchemical Journal.

Carbosulfan is a chemical used in agriculture to combat insect pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle. While highly effective, it is toxic to humans.

Researchers from TPU’s School of Natural Resources Engineering and the Research School of Chemical and Biomedical Technologies, in collaboration with the Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Science of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) and Charles University in the Czech Republic, have developed a highly sensitive sensor to detect carbosulfan residues in food.

“The unique features of the sensor are its use of inexpensive materials, compact size, and rapid results. It can detect the presence of carbosulfan at concentrations ten times lower than what existing analog devices can achieve,” said Elena Dorozhko, a co-author of the project and Associate Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering at TPU’s School of Natural Resources Engineering.