New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS) A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and Panjab University has developed a portable, automated optical device capable of detecting extremely low concentrations of pesticide residues in water, food, and the environment that can pose serious risks to human and environmental health.

Conventional laboratory methods for detecting such residues, particularly the commonly used organophosphate Malathion, are expensive, time-consuming, and require skilled personnel.

The new research, supported by the Department of Science and Technology, under its ‘Technology Development and Transfer’ Programme, addressed the challenge by designing a field-deployable, user-friendly device that offers real-time, ultra-sensitive pesticide detection.

The new ‘Smart MDD (Malathion Detection Device)’ is a colourimetric detection system that employs gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and comes with an aptamer molecule engineered to recognise Malathion specifically.

The interaction causes a visible colour shift — from red to blue –indicating the presence of the pesticide, a change that the device’s built-in optical system precisely measures. This automated process eliminates manual handling and enables quick, reliable results, said the team. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Review of Scientific Instruments.

“This technology can have a significant real-world impact. It can help farmers, food safety agencies, and environmental regulators rapidly monitor pesticide contamination on-site — whether in irrigation water, produce, or soil — thereby ensuring compliance with safety standards and reducing public health risks,” Prof. Sujatha Narayanan Unni, Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering, IIT Madras, told IANS.

“It can also aid in tracking pesticide runoff in water bodies, a major environmental concern,” Unni added.

The team demonstrated a detection limit of about 250 picomolar and correlation with lab spectrophotometer results — metrics that are rarely seen in portable devices.

Currently tested under laboratory conditions, the device will next undergo validation with real-world samples such as fruits, vegetables, and field water sources.

“We plan to extend the platform to detect a broader range of pesticides, strengthening its role in sustainable agricultural management and environmental monitoring,” Dr. Rohit Kumar Sharma, Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University, told IANS.

–IANS

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