In situ pesticide detection in food processing by microwave transduction combined with molecularly imprinted polymers

Since 2005, the microwave transduction coupled with a sensitive material is devoted to gas detection. In this work, we demonstrate the possibility to detect liquid pollutant (pesticide, fungicide) for food-processing industry. The principle is based on the interaction of the pollutant with a sensitive material within a microwave structure. The sensor is submitted to an electromagnetic excitation in wideband frequencies (GHz) and presents a quantitative response to liquid pollutant expositions at low concentration. The retained sensitive material is a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) specific to the pesticide targeted in a model wine. The coupling with this material selectivity and the in situ microwave transduction presents a threshold of detection in the ng/l range. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd.