Recent Advances in Silver Nanoparticle-based Approaches for Colorimetric Sensing of Pesticides in Water and Food Matrices: A Review

The widespread and uncontrolled use of pesticides poses significant environmental and public health risks. Human exposure to residual pesticides through the environment or contaminated food and water can lead to chronic diseases and, in severe cases, mortality. Therefore, there is an urgent need for rapid, reliable, and cost-effective methods for pesticide detection in food and environmental matrices. Silver nanoparticles (AgNP)-based colorimetric assays have emerged as promising analytical tools due to their simplicity, rapid response, and high sensitivity, eliminating the need for complex instrumentation. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the AgNP-based colorimetric methods for pesticide detection, highlighting their principles, fabrication techniques, and sensing mechanisms. In addition, classification of pesticides and their associated health hazards emphasizes the potential of AgNPs in advancing food safety monitoring.