Background: Excessive residues of organophosphorus pesticide pose a serious threat to consumer health and negatively impact the export trade of agricultural products in China. Therefore, establishing a rapid, accurate and reliable multiresidue detection method for organophosphorus pesticides to safeguard consumer health is highly necessary. Methods: This study aimed to develop a combined detection method integrating surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with molecularly imprinted polymer (SERS-MIP) technology. Quantitative analysis of two pesticides, trichlorfon and cypermethrin, as examples, enables rapid detection of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables. The effects of four fruits and vegetables (oranges, tangerines, leeks, and spinach) on the detection of two pesticide residues were also investigated, with a focus on matrix effects on the SERS-MIP combined technique. Results: The limit of detection (LOD) for trichlorfon in oranges and tangerines was 1.27 μg/kg, with recovery rates ranging from 95.2% to 101.4%. The LOD for cypermethrin in leeks and spinach was 0.13 μg/kg, with recovery rates ranging from 95.2% to 100.3%. For all four matrices, the method enabled rapid quantitative detection with high specificity and sensitivity, meeting current market demands. Conclusions: This approach holds promise for detecting other pesticide residues and provides a useful reference direction for developing rapid pesticide residue testing methods.
Tang et al. (Tue,) studied this question.