Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Veterinary Antiparasitics in Aqueous Matrix: Suitability of the Individual Enhancing Substrates, Effect of the Real Matrix, and Implications for Environmental Science

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Veterinary antiparasitics, such as methylene blue and malachite green, are some of the most used medicinal substances in aquaculture, despite their undoubtedly negative effects on the environment. As these chemicals are used in both commercial industries and leisure aquaristics, their presence in all kinds of waters and, subsequently, in animal and human bodies represents a clear and present danger to the health of the majority of living organisms. To prevent the negative impacts of these substances while maintaining their indisputable role in fish healthcare, most governments have already introduced relevant legislative restrictions on the amount of these substances in water. As a result, concerned analytical laboratories face challenging decisions about the analytical methodologies to be used. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy emerges as a remarkable possibility, as this technique allows the detection of relevantly low concentrations of some molecules, with dyes and pigments such as methylene blue and malachite green being among the most suitable analytes. Because the selection of an enhancing substrate is one of the crucial aspects of this technique, we have optimized several plasmonic nanoparticles and assessed the possibilities of the simultaneous detection of these substances and their detection in the real matrix.