Development of an organophosphate and carbamate pesticide test kit by using a magnetic particle coated with esterase enzyme from honey bee heads

Organophosphates (OPs) and carbamates (CMs) play a vital role in Thai agriculture, public health, and pest control. However, their detection presents challenges due to expensive methods requiring specialized expertise. Addressing this gap, our study introduces an innovative, cost-effective method for detecting OPs and CMs in Thailand. We utilized the test kit by using magnetic particles coated with esterase enzymes from honey bee heads combined with a colorimetric approach. The developed test kit shows low limits of detection (LODs) at 0.001 mg/L of dichlorvos (OPs) and 0.004 mg/L for carbaryl (CMs). The efficiency of the developed test kits in comparison with the standard technique of gas chromatography with flame photometry detection (GC-FPD) shows a comparable result in fruit and vegetable residue analysis. This developed test kit proposes a cost-effective OPs and CMs analysis test kit for Thailand, promising expense reduction and simplified verification processes. Its applicability to fruits and vegetables signifies practicality in agriculture, marking a significant advancement in accessible and efficient pesticide residue monitoring. Despite challenges in pesticide use, our method holds promise for improving safety and efficiency in Thai pesticide management.

Graphical Abstract