The study of molecularly imprinted polymer-based sensor for sensitive detection of glyphosate pesticide

The excessive usage and persistent environmental presence of the hazardous pesticide, glyphosate, lead to significant contamination of the food chain and various ecosystems. Studies indicated the potency of this chemical to exert several severe life-threatening complications, raising health concerns throughout the globe. Unfortunately, conventional methods often suffer from expensive instrumentations, complicated operation, and lengthy analysis time. Therefore, this study proposed a simple, user-friendly, and cost-effective molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-modified electrode for sensitive glyphosate detection. Preliminary studies using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) demonstrated the possibility of this approach as a promising alternative. The developed sensor revealed a working range of 0.005 to 5 μg/mL, achieving an excellent coefficient of determination (R 2) of 0.992 when utilizing the resistance parameter at a particular frequency of 5 kHz for analysis. The calculated limit of detection (LOD) of 0.437 μg/mL was also obtained. As a result, this proposed MIP-modified sensor is able to be further developed into a robust method for glyphosate detection, ultimately facilitating regulatory enforcement and safeguarding human well-being.