Detection of Carbaryl Pesticides by using Surface-Enhance Raman Spectroscopy
Carbaryl pesticides have been used to fight against pests to increase the yields of agricultural products. Because of their ability of inactivating acetylcholinesterase (AChE), carbaryl are considered to have potent neurotoxicity. Exposure carbaryl even at low to mild doses, may lead to long-term nervous system effects. For the last decade, public concerns over pesticide residues in foods and vegetable have been increasing due to the threatening toxicity towards ecological environment and human health.
how are we detection carbaryl pesticide?
To detect carbaryl in vegetables, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS) are widely used. However, both GC and HPLC based techniques require well-trained operators, time-consuming, labour-intensive, and often require complicated procedures of sample preparation.
Raman spectroscopy have long been considered a useful analytical technique to evaluate food safety and quality. As the Raman spectrum could identify “fingerprint-like” information from measuring compounds in high concentration only.
Figture 1. Raman spectra of carbaryl powder. Measurement by Renishaw Raman spectrometer with scope 50X,10s exposure time and 10 mW laser power
The carbaryl peak showed at 1380 cm-1 and 1440 cm-1 which were the same position found on the solid carbaryl measured by using standard Raman spectrometer. Carbaryl can be detected with the limit of detection (LOD) of 10-5 M.