Improved procedure for square-wave voltammetric sensing of fenhexamid residues on blueberries peel surface at the anodically pretreated boron-doped diamond electrode

Abstract

BackgroundFungicide fenhexamid (FH) has a high residual concentration on fruits and vegetables, thus, it is of high importance to monitor the level of FH residues on foodstuff samples. So far, the assay of FH residues in selected foodstuff samples has been conducted by electroanalytical methods on sp2 carbon-based electrodes that are well-known to be susceptible to severe fouling of the electrodes surfaces during electrochemical measurements. As an alternative, sp3 carbon-based electrode such as boron-doped diamond (BDD) can be used in the analysis of FH residues retained on the peel surface of foodstuff (blueberries) sample. ResultsIn situ anodic pretreatment of the BDDE surface was found to be the most successful strategy to remediate the passivated BDDE surface by FH oxidation (by)products, and the best validation parameters, i.e., the widest linear range (3.0–100.0 μmol L−1), the highest sensitivity (0.0265 μA L μmol−1) and the lowest limit of detection (0.821 μmol L−1), were achieved on the anodically pretreated BDDE (APT–BDDE) in a Britton-Robinson buffer, pH 2.0, using square-wave voltammetry (SWV). The assay of FH residues retained on blueberries peel surface was performed on the APT–BDDE using SWV, and the obtained concentration of FH residues of 6.152 μmol L−1 (1.859 mg kg−1) was found to be below the maximum residue value fixed for blueberries by the European Union regulations (20 mg kg−1). Significance and noveltyIn this work, a protocol based on a very easy and fast foodstuff sample preparation procedure combined with the straightforward pretreatment approach of the BDDE surface was elaborated for the first time for the monitoring of the level of FH residues retained on the peel surface of blueberries samples. The presented reliable, cost-effective, and easy-to-use protocol could find its application as a rapid screening method for the control of food safety.