Food Pollution Research Articles

Impacts of Social Inequality, Air Pollution, Rural-Urban Divides, and Insufficient Green Space on Residents' Health in China: Insight from Chinese General Social Survey Data Analysis.

Attention to physical and mental health is becoming more intensive. In China, factors and mechanisms are now a focus of research. We used dynamic air quality monitoring data and the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) to assess the spatial differences and the coupling between subjective and objective air pollution. In addition, a logistic model was used to explore the impact mechanisms of social inequality, air pollution, food safety, and lack of green space on health. The results show that (1) the impact of subjective and objective air pollution on the health level of the population is significant; (2) income inequality, air pollution, food pollution, and travel behavior significantly affect the residents' health; and (3) environmental health has a significant differentiation mechanism between urban and rural areas. The negative health effects of air pollution and insufficient green space are more significant in cities; food pollution is more likely in rural areas. In terms of socioeconomic inequality, gender, family size, travel, and physical exercise had no significant effect on rural health. Health improvement was higher in the low-income group than in the high-income group. The adverse effect of travel behavior on environmental pollution is conducive to improving health. Therefore, social equality, strictly controlled environmental pollution, exercise, and travel can help narrow the gap between rich and poor, promote urban-rural health equity, and improve human health.

Amino acid ionic liquid–based magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction for benzimidazole residue analysis in fruit juice and human serum based on theoretical screening

The theoretical screening and design of green solvents to reduce organic solvents and to develop green and efficient sample pretreatment methods have attracted extensive attention. Here, benzimidazoles (BZDs) with potential reproductive toxicity were used as target compounds, and amino acid ionic liquids (AAILs) were designed and selected via a theoretical calculation. With the functionalized AAIL as monomers, and POSS as the crosslinking agent, novel specific magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2@MAPs@AAIL-POSS) were prepared and used to develop the magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction (MDSPE) of trace BZDs from fruit juice and human serum. In the evaluation of the method, Fe3O4@SiO2@MAPs@AAIL-POSS showed specific adsorption, recyclable ability, high adsorption efficiency, a good recovery rate, and a low coefficient of variation. In addition, the adsorption behavior of Fe3O4@SiO2@MAPs@AAIL-POSS on BZDs was verified by investigating the kinetic and thermodynamic of the adsorption process. The study design provides ideas for green rapid detection methods of other food pollutants.

Sensitive determination of Patulin by aptamer functionalized magnetic surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensor

Food pollution caused by Patulin (PAT) seriously threatens the safety of human diets and has attracted extensive attention. Early and accurate detections of PAT are essential to prevent further toxin spreading and contamination. A surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) aptasensor was fabricated by combining a gold-silver core-shell structure containing signal molecule (ADANRs) and chitosan modified magnetic nanoparticles (CS-Fe3O4). The modified ADANRs with the complementary chain of the aptamer (SH-cDNA-ADANRs) which were served as the signal probes and the aptamer modified CS-Fe3O4 (NH2-apt-CS-Fe3O4) were served as the capture probes. In addition to the ability to recognize the target PAT, the capture probe also showed a strong enrichment ability under the action of external magnetic force. The intraparticle plasma coupling between the inner gold core and the outer silver shell can greatly improve the SERS activity of the signal molecules. SERS aptasensor was used to collect the spectra of actual apple samples spiked with different PAT content. The minimum detection limit of SERS aptasensor for detecting PAT in actual samples was 0.0384 ng/mL and the recovery rate range was from 96.3% to 108%. In conclusion, the sensitive and specific SERS aptasensor detection of PAT based on aptamer functionalized nanoparticles exhibited great potential for practical application in mycotoxin detection and analysis.

Preparation of Monoclonal Antibody against Pyrene and Benzo [a]pyrene and Development of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Fish, Shrimp and Crab Samples

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are significant environmental and food pollutants that can cause cancer. In this work, a specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) to identify pyrene (PYR) and benzo [a]pyrene (BaP) was prepared, and an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay (ic-ELISA) was established to detect PYR and BaP residues in living aquatic products for the first time. The effects of complete antigens with different coupling ratios on the production of high-sensitivity mAb was explored. Under the optimal conditions, the IC50 value was 3.73 ± 0.43 µg/L (n = 5). The limits of detection (LODs) for PYR and BaP in fish, shrimp, and crab ranged from 0.43 to 0.98 µg/L. The average recoveries of the spiked samples ranged from 81.5–101.9%, and the coefficient of variation (CV) was less than 11.7%. The validation of the HPLC-FLD method indicated that the ELISA method set up in this experiment provided a trustworthy tool for PAHs residues detection in aquatic products.

Image Out of Place

The article deals with the search for the sources of visual pollution. While the information environment, alongside with pollution of air, water and food, has been already recognized as the new area of contamination, the pollution of visual environment has not yet been listed among the spheres monitored by the ecologists. The symptoms of visual contamination are not identified, and the sources – apart from advertising – are unknown not only to environmental activists, but also to the specialists. The main thesis of the article is as follows: the pollution of visual environment affects the health of people no less negatively than traditional sources of environmental threats. However, visual pollution is not visible; it has not yet been the subject of close study, so we do not yet have any record of its species, or the criteria for the dangerous level of pollution exceedance, nor recommendations for prevention and ways and techniques of getting rid of it. The uncertainty of the sources of visual pollution leads in the long term to disastrous health consequences, because the moral, spiritual and physical well-being of a person living in it depends on how healthy and favourable the visual environment is. Huge fields of plastic packaging and disposable dishes floating in the ocean are not only visual pollution, but also pollution of water, marine inhabitants, and soil; while in the urban environment it is difficult to separate visual dirt from pollution of air, water, land. It is concluded that the source of the pollution is a substance both out of place, without a place or outside the place. The source of pollution can be the reverse side of purity of the visual environment brought to the limit, to sterility, to geometric rigidity, which accompanies the “pathos of colonization of nature by geometry”.

NITRATE CONTENT IN VEGETABLES IN WATER-INRATED WATER BODIES OF THE NORTHERN AND INGULETSKY GOK

The content of nitrates in vegetables is a rather urgent problem and is of interest to structures that control and regulate the possible consequences of an excessive amount of nitrates for human health. The main causes and features of food pollution are shown: irrigation of fields with water containing wastewater from industrial enterprises, excessive and uncontrolled use of fertilizers, conditions for growing vegetables and seasonality.The process of environmental pollution with nitrates, in particular, surface water resources, is considered. An analysis of the suitability of surface water for irrigation was carried out near the villages of Andreevka, Shevchenkovskoye, Zavyalovka, Annensky quarry and Ternovsky district of Krivoy Rog and showed that the content of nitrates does not exceed the MPC. The reasons for the accumulation of nitrates in plant products are shown. The transformations of nitrate ions and their toxic effect on the human body are given. The paper also outlines the main ways to reduce the content of nitrates in crop production. A quantitative analysis of nitrate ions in vegetable raw materials in the spring-autumn period was carried out: cucumbers, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots and onions by the iodometric method, the express method based on the use of a diphenylamine reagent and the express method. method using the GreenTest nitrate tester, grown on the territory near such enterprises as the Northern and Ingulets GOK. The content of nitrates exceeds MPC in early potatoes and tomatoes.

Recent advances in electrochemical-based sensors amplified with carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) for sensing pharmaceutical and food pollutants.

Foodborne-related infections due to additives and pollutants pose a considerable task for food processing enterprises. Therefore, the competent, cost-effective, and quick investigation of nutrition additives and contaminants is essential to reduce the threat of public fitness problems. The electrochemical sensor (ECS) shows facile and potent analytical approaches desirable for food protection and quality inspection over traditional methods. The consequence of a broad display of nanomaterials has paved the path for their relevance in designing high-performance ECSs appliances for medical diagnostics and conditions and food protection. This review article has discussed the importance of electrochemical-based sensors amplified with carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs). Initially, we have demonstrated the types of pharmaceutical and food/agriculture pollutants (such as pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics and other medical drugs) present in water. Subsequently, we have compiled the information on electrochemical techniques (such as voltammetric and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) and their crucial parameters for detecting pollutants. Further, the applications of CNMs for sensing pharmaceutical and food pollutants have been demonstrated in detail. Finally, the topic has been concluded with existing challenges and future prospects.

On-site marine pathogen (Vibrio parahaemolyticus) rapid colorimetric determination based on modified-free aptamer and metal-organic frameworks with simple washing step

Nowadays, microbial visual sensing platforms based on aptamers and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been reported, but most of them require complex modification processes, which undoubtedly increases the difficulty of detection. Here, we constructed modified-free magnetic-aptamer MOF (Fe3O4-Ap@ZIF-8) and signal-aptamer MOF (Pt-Ap@ZIF-8), which effectively avoided complex biological modification. The rapid sensing strategy was adopted in this method to avoid the complicated washing steps and greatly shorten the detection time. The performance of this method was verified by taking Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP) as the mode target. The limit of detection (LOD) of VP is 102 CFU/mL. Furthermore, this strategy can achieve rapid visual analysis of other target objects only by changing different aptamers, and has broad application prospects in the fields of rapid detection of food pollutants, rapid medical diagnosis, environmental monitoring, etc.

Advances in the Application of Liquid Chromatography in the Detection of Pollutants.

Food is easy to be contaminated because of its complex composition. Therefore, in order to protect people from potential food contaminants, it is very necessary to test for various contaminants in food. Liquid chromatography is widely used in the field of food safety detection. In addition, with the development of liquid chromatography technology, more and more new instruments are combined with liquid chromatography. Compared with traditional liquid chromatography, combined liquid chromatography has great advantages in efficiency and operation. Therefore, it is rapidly promoted in the field of food safety testing. In this paper, the results of the determination of three kinds of food pollutants by different liquid chromatography methods are reviewed, and the indexes are compared and analyzed.

1,3-Dichloro-2-propanol-Induced Renal Tubular Cell Necroptosis through the ROS/RIPK3/MLKL Pathway.

1,3-Dichloro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP), as a food pollutant, exists in a variety of foods. Studies have shown that it has nephrotoxicity. In the study, we found that 1,3-DCP caused renal injury with necroptosis in C57BL/6J mice. The mechanism of 1,3-DCP-caused nephrotoxicity was further explored in NRK-52E cells in vitro. We found that 1,3-DCP caused cell necroptosis with the increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels and the expressions of RIPK3 and MLKL. But pretreatment with a ROS inhibitor N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), a RIPK3 inhibitor GSK'872, or RIPK3 gene silencing alleviated 1,3-DCP-induced cell necroptosis. The data indicated that 1,3-DCP induced necroptosis through the ROS/RIPK3/MLKL pathway in NRK-52E cells. In further mechanistic studies, we explored how 1,3-DCP induced ROS production. We found that 1,3-DCP inhibited the expressions of nuclear and cytoplasmic Nrf2. But pretreatment with an Nrf2 activator dimethyl fumarate (DMF) up-regulated the expressions of nuclear and cytoplasmic Nrf2 and down-regulated ROS levels and RIPK3 and MLKL expressions. We also examined the effects of mitophagy on 1,3-DCP-induced ROS. The data manifested that 1,3-DCP suppressed mitophagy in NRK-52E cells by decreasing LC3-II, Pink1, and Parkin levels, increasing p62 levels, and decreasing colocalization of LC3 and Mito-Tracker Red. Pretreatment with an autophagy activator rapamycin (Rapa) decreased 1,3-DCP-induced ROS. Taken together, our data identified that 1,3-DCP caused renal necroptosis through the ROS/RIPK3/MLKL pathway.

Risk assessment and early warning of the presence of heavy metal pollution in strawberries

Heavy metal pollution is a major threat to agricultural produce and it can pose potential ecological risks which subsequently impacts on human health. Strawberries are an economically important produce of China. The intrinsic link of heavy metal pollution risk in the soil-strawberry ecosystem is of concern. In this study, the pollution index of heavy metal pollutants in farmlands of different provinces were evaluated, and the results showed significantly high levels of cadmium. In addition, Nemerow integrated pollution index analysis showed that low-pollution farmlands only accounted for 14.07% of the total arable land area. Then, the transfer factors were used to calculate the migration of heavy metals from the soil into strawberries. The results showed that cadmium and nickel were relatively high in strawberries from the Guangxi province. Similar results were found for mercury in Jiangxi Province. The pollution index of single food pollution also showed that mercury in strawberries from Jiangxi Province was at a moderate pollution level. The comprehensive pollution index indicated that heavy metal pollution in strawberries in Central China may be severe. In addition, spatial clustering analysis showed that cadmium, chromium, lead, arsenic and zinc in strawberries had significant hotspot clustering in central, south and southwest China. Finally, our studies also suggested that the risk of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic diseases was higher in the (2, 4] years age group than in other age groups. People in Yunnan Province were also found to have a higher non-carcinogenic risk than those in other provinces and cities in China. This study provides a comprehensive view of the potential risks of heavy metal contamination in strawberries, which could provide assistance in the design of regulatory and risk management programs for chemical pollutants in strawberries, thus ensuring the safety of consumption of these edible fruits.

Nanozyme-mediated signal amplification for ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical sensing of Staphylococcus aureus based on Cu–C3N4–TiO2 heterostructure

Food-borne pathogens are one of the leading causes of food poisoning, which vigorously affect food safety and human health. Therefore, the development of early and rapid detection methods for food pollution evaluation is the key to food safety and quality control. Herein, a simple and inexpensive photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor is developed for highly selective and ultrasensitive detection of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The technique is based on “signal-off” that employs Cu–C3N4–TiO2 heterostructures as photoactive materials and monolayer Cu–C3N4 nanozyme as a signal amplifier. In the presence of S. aureus, the aptamer-modified Cu–C3N4 (Cu–C3N4@Apt, a signal amplifier) and S. aureus were specifically anchored on the surface of the ligand-modified photoelectrode. The Cu–C3N4@Apt nanozyme acted as a peroxidase to catalyze the oxidation of 4-chloro-1-naphthol (4-CN) to produce insoluble precipitate on the electrode surface and resulted in a significant decrease in photocurrent. Based on the signal-amplification by the Cu–C3N4@Apt nanozyme, the constructed PEC sensor demonstrated a wide linear range between 10–108 CFU/mL for the S. aureus detection with the detection limit (LOD) as low as 3.40 CFU/mL. Furthermore, the PEC sensor was capable of determining S. aureus in spiked orange juice and milk, with the recovery of 91%–113%, indicating the reliability of the sensor for S. aureus detection in real samples. This investigation provides a feasible strategy for the design of highly selective and ultrasensitive PEC sensors to determine analytes in complex systems.

“Three-in-one” nanohybrids as synergistic nanozymes assisted with exonuclease I amplification to enhance colorimetric aptasensor for ultrasensitive detection of kanamycin

Kanamycin (KAN) residues in animal-derived food can cause serious threats to human health. Herein, a colorimetric aptasensor was described using “three-in-one” nanohybrids (hemin@Fe-MIL-88NH2/PtNP) as synergistic nanozymes assisted with the exonuclease I (Exo I) signal amplification for the ultrasensitive detection of KAN. In the presence of KAN and Exo I, the KAN aptamer (APT) was specifically bound to KAN, and the remaining APT complementary strand (cDNA1) captured hemin@Fe-MIL-88NH2/PtNP labeled with the cDNA1 complementary strand (cDNA2). Due to the synergistic effect of hemin, Fe-MIL-88NH2 and platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs), hemin@Fe-MIL-88NH2/PtNP exhibited superior catalytic performance and could efficiently catalyze the 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB)-H2O2 system for signal development. Moreover, Exo I could digest APT and release KAN into a new cycle for signal amplification. Based on multiple signal amplification effects, our proposed aptasensor achieved a wide detection range from 0.01 to 100 ng mL−1 with a low detection limit of 2 pg mL−1. This assay also successfully detected KAN-added milk and shrimp samples with added recovery ranges of 93.58%–106.08% and relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 2.20%–5.50%. The aptasensor enabled ultrasensitive, specific, and fast detection of KAN, and exhibited promising applications in the efficient detection of food pollutants.

Proteome-Based Serotyping of the Food-Borne Pathogens Salmonella Enterica by Label-Free Mass Spectrometry.

Food-borne diseases caused by Salmonella enterica of 2500 serovars represent a serious public health problem worldwide. A quick identification for the pathogen serovars is critical for controlling food pollution and disease spreading. Here, we applied a mass spectrum-based proteomic profiling for identifying five epidemiologically important Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovars (Enteritidis, Typhimurium, London, Rissen and Derby) in China. By label-free analysis, the 53 most variable serovar-related peptides, which were almost all enzymes related to nucleoside phosphate and energy metabolism, were screened as potential peptide biomarkers, and based on which a C5.0 predicted model for Salmonella enterica serotyping with four predictor peptides was generated with the accuracy of 94.12%. In comparison to the classic gene patterns by PFGE analysis, the high-throughput proteomic fingerprints were also effective to determine the genotypic similarity among Salmonella enteric isolates according to each strain of proteome profiling, which is indicative of the potential breakout of food contamination. Generally, the proteomic dissection on Salmonella enteric serovars provides a novel insight and real-time monitoring of food-borne pathogens.

Operationalizing the Sustainable Fertilizer Management Global Initiative at National Level: A Conceptual Framework

Humanity is tasked with finding a balance between the need to increase the amount of food and the negative socio-environmental and economic consequences of the irrational use of fertilisers. At the global level, a number of initiatives have been launched to consolidate countries' efforts to address this problem. However, existing national fertiliser management systems and policies are characterised by insufficient consistency and low efficiency. This study aims to formulate a conceptual framework for developing a national sustainable fertiliser management system that meets the principles set out in existing global initiatives. Through the generalisation of the content of existing intergovernmental initiatives on sustainable fertiliser management, the subject composition was formulated, and estimates of the relationship between fertiliser application and public health (through the number of cancer diseases) through the use of regression analysis methods, assessment of economic damage from irrational fertilisation served as a substantiation (illustration of the importance of highlighting) of components covering: awareness, knowledge, tools. The national sustainable fertiliser management system is considered three-dimensional integrity containing the following interrelated components: government, fertiliser production and supply industries, and users. The functioning of this system is seen as a continuous process of raising awareness, generating and transferring knowledge, selecting and applying appropriate tools, and improving fertiliser application practices in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, with the leading role of government. The process of raising awareness of all actors of the system about the problem of irrational fertilisation is proposed to be considered in a broader context – through the demonstration of negative consequences not only for the environment (soil condition), but also from the standpoint of the impact on public health and related consequences – through the assessment of economic damage caused by pollution and consumption of food containing harmful substances. The main principles of interaction of subjects in this system should be the following: professionalism, transparency, information support, etc. Special attention should be paid to the formulation of a set of strategic goals that would lay the foundation for the development of control and evaluation procedures, a system for monitoring and reviewing mechanisms for economic incentives for fertiliser use, considering the social and environmental aspects of fertiliser use

Pb-Induced Eryptosis May Provoke Thrombosis Prior to Hemolysis

Lead (Pb) is a common metal, which can be toxic to the human body via the pollution of water or food, and can cause anemia and other diseases. However, what happens before hemolysis and anemia caused by Pb poisoning is unclear. Here, we demonstrated Pb can cause procoagulant activity of erythroid cells leading to thrombosis before hemolysis. In freshly isolated human erythroid cells, we observed that Pb resulted in hemolysis in both concentration- and time-dependent manners, but that no lysis occurred in Pb-exposed erythroid cells (≤20 μM for 1 h). Pb treatment did not cause shape changes at up to 0.5 h incubation but at 1 h incubation echinocyte and echino-spherocyte shape changes were observed, indicating that Pb can exaggerate a concentration- and time-dependent trend of shape changes in erythroid cells. After Pb treatment, ROS-independent eryptosis was shown with no increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS), but with an increase of [Ca2+]i and caspase 3 activity. With a thrombosis mouse model, we observed increased thrombus by Pb treatment (0 or 25 mg/kg). In brief, prior to hemolysis, we demonstrated Pb can cause ROS-independent but [Ca2+]i-dependent eryptosis, which might provoke thrombosis.

Enhanced removal of lead ions and methyl orange from wastewater using polyethyleneimine grafted UiO-66-NH2 nanoparticles

The discharge of wastewater rich in heavy metals and organic substances has led to the deterioration of the ecosystem, resulting in serious environmental and food pollution, and there is an urgent need to treat the pollutants in the wastewater. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have the advantages of large specific surface area and pore volume, as well as the designability of their structures, and are extremely promising materials for wastewater treatment. In this work, a novel adsorbent was synthesized by grafting polyethyleneimine (PEI) onto the UiO-66-NH2 metal framework (PEI@UiO-66-NH2) via glutaraldehyde-assisted reaction. This new type of adsorbent not only exhibits improved chemical stability in water but also shows greatly increased adsorption sites in comparison with the common UiO-66-NH2. The various factors that possibly affect the adsorption behaviors of the PEI@UiO-66-NH2 were systematically studied. The results show that the PEI@UiO-66-NH2 can nearly reach the adsorption equilibrium of Pb(II) and methyl orange (MO) within 5 min. The theoretical adsorption capacities toward Pb(II) and MO achieve 692.80 mg/g and 497.51 mg/g, respectively. Specifically, the dynamic theoretical adsorption models were established through the study of the dynamic adsorption of pollutants, providing the theoretical guidance for the scale-up experiments of wastewater treatment with this adsorbent. PEI@UiO-66-NH2 also shows excellent recycling performance for removing Pb(II) and MO. All these results suggest that PEI@UiO-66-NH2 has a good application prospect for the removal of wastewater containing Pb(II) and MO.

Engineering of 2D artificial nanozyme-based blocking effect-triggered colorimetric sensor for onsite visual assay of residual tetracycline in milk.

Accurate and low-cost onsite assay of residual antibiotics in food and agriculture-related matrixes (e.g., milk) is of significant importance for evaluating and controlling food pollution risk. Herein, we employed hybrid Cu-doped-g-C3N4 nanozyme to engineer smartphone-assisted onsite visual sensor for reliable and precise reporting the levels of tetracycline (TC) residues in milk through π-π stacking-triggered blocking effect. Benefiting from the synergetic effects of Cu2+ and g-C3N4 nanosheet, Cu-doped-g-C3N4 nanocomposite exhibited an improved peroxidase-like activity, which could effectively catalyze H2O2 to oxidate colorless TMB into steel-blue product oxTMB. Interestingly, owing to the blocking effect caused by the π-π stacking interaction between TC tetraphenyl skeleton and Cu-doped-g-C3N4 nanozyme, the affinity of Cu-doped-g-C3N4 nanocomposite toward the catalytic substrates was remarkably blocked, resulting in a TC concentration-dependent fading of solution color. Using smartphone-assisted detection a simple, low-cost, reliable, and sensitive portable colorimetric sensor-based nanozyme for onsite visual monitoring the residual TC in milk was successfully developed with a detection limit of 86.27nM. Of particular mention is that this detection limit is comparable to most other reported colorimetric methods and below most official allowable residue thresholds in milk matrixes. This work gave a novel insight to integrate two-dimensional (2D) artificial nanozymes-based π-π stacking-triggered blocking effect with smartphone-assisted detection for developing efficient and low-cost colorimetric point-of-care testing of the risk factors in food and agriculture-related matrixes.

NLow matrix effect pretreatment method based on gas-liquid micro-extraction technique for determining multi-class pesticides in crops

A low matrix effect pretreatment method by Gas-liquid microextraction technique (GLME) combined with ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE-GLME) has been developed for fast analysis of 41 multi-class pesticides in different crop samples. Extraction and cleanup procedures were completed within 20 min, and the impact of matrix effects in potato, lentil, corn and soybean matrices were systematically evaluated. As high as 97.6% pesticides treated by UAE-GLME experienced low matrix effect, and up to 99% pesticides except parathion-methyl in lentil samples were categorized as medium matrix effect. Good trueness (recoveries of 61.3–115.8%) and precision (RSD≤20%) were demonstrated by the UAE-GLME method, with MLOQs ranged from 0.005 to 0.02 mg kg−1. This method detected 2-phenylphenol, pyrimethanil, triadimefon and tebuconazole in the range of 0.008–0.012 mg kg−1 in real food samples. The multiresidue analysis feature of GLME has been validated, which displays further potential for high-throughput determination of organic pollutants in foods with distinctive properties.

Recent developments on graphene and its derivatives based electrochemical sensors for determinations of food contaminants

The sensing of food contaminants is essential to prevent their adverse health effects on the consumers. Electrochemical sensors are promising in the determination of electroactive analytes including food pollutants, biomolecules etc. Graphene nanomaterials offer many benefits as electrode material in a sensing device. To further improve the analytical performance, doped graphene or derivatives of graphene such as reduced graphene oxide and their nanocomposites were explored as electrode materials. Herein, the advancements in graphene and its derivatives-based electrochemical sensors for analysis of food pollutants were summarized. Determinations of both organic (food colourants, pesticides, drugs, etc.) and inorganic pollutants (metal cations and anions) were considered. The influencing factors including nature of electrode materials and food pollutants, pH, electroactive surface area etc., on the sensing performances of modified electrodes were highlighted. The results of pollutant detection in food samples by the graphene-based electrode have also been outlined. Lastly, conclusions and current challenges in effective real sample detection were presented.