Fabrication of Low-Cost, Paper-Based Electrodes for Detection of Bisphenol Compounds

Abstract

Bisphenol (BP) is a chemical additive that strengthens polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Bisphenol, however, is a known toxicant often categorized as an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC). Bisphenol absorption in the body has been implicated in contributing to metabolic disorders such as type-2 diabetes, obesity, immune toxicity, and other serious diseases. Approximately 90% of humans accumulate BP levels through exposure to food containers, plastic bottles, thermal printing papers, and other everyday plastic products. This accumulation is of special concern on the Navajo Reservation, which has a high rate of diabetes and obesity. We report the development of low-cost, flexible paper-based electrodes for the electrochemical detection of BP compounds. We fabricated paper-based electrodes using conductive carbon paste in a three-electrode system. We demonstrate that our paper-based electrodes can detect BP at 0.1mM, 0.3mM, 0.5mM, and 1mM in the laboratory at physiological pH conditions. These results demonstrate that the sensitivity of these electrodes and their linear electrochemical response make them well suited for real-time applications and point detections.