Recent advancements in sensing techniques based on functional materials for organophosphate pesticides

The use of organophosphate pesticides (OPs) for pest control in agriculture has caused serious environmental problems throughout the world. OPs are highly toxic with the potential to cause neurological disorders in humans. As the application of OPs has greatly increased in various agriculture activities, it has become imperative to accurately monitor their concentration levels for the protection of ecological systems and food supplies. Although there are many conventional methods available for the detection of OPs, the development of portable sensors is necessary to facilitate routine analysis with more convenience. Some of these potent alternative techniques based on functional materials include fluorescence nanomaterials based sensors, molecular imprinted (MIP) sensors, electrochemical sensors, and biosensors. This review explores the basic features of these sensing approaches through evaluation of their performance. The discussion is extended further to describe the challenges and opportunities for these unique sensing techniques. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.