中文 |

Research Progress

Better Detection Technology may Help to Ensure Food Safety

Oct 18, 2018

Heavy metal ions, or HMIs in soil could be absorbed by the roots of rice plants as well as could be transported by the rice phloem sap to the seed and then be accumulated in rice. The phloem is not only the passageway of nutrients, but also the passageway of HMIs. For food safety, it is crucial to evaluate HMIs in rice phloem sap so that to study the migration, accumulation of HMIs in rice plants.

A Chinese joint team in Hefei Institutes of Physical Science developed a useful simple sensor to realize selective electrochemical detection of HMIs in complex rice phloem sap.

The team fabricated a more sensitive sensing interface based on the carbon nanotubes for the analysis of Pb2+ in rice phloem sap.

This newly developed sensing interface was smart enough to eliminate interference by other properties existing in the sap.

Combining the selective capturing ability of glutathione and the electrocatalytic ability of gold nanoparticles toward Pb2+, the carbon nanotubes was sensitive enough to realize detection of the target ions without interference from other small ions.

In addition to its high sensitivity, the sensing interface also showed its excellent stability and high reproducibility for it was checked by several different carbon nanotube electrodes during the laboratory test.

This investigation may provide a simple and effective method for monitoring of HMIs in the rice plants, and what’s more, it also benefits the further study of migration and transformation of HMIs in the plants.

 

Schematic diagram of the electrochemical sensor for detection of Pb2+ in rice phloem sap. (Image by JIANG Min) 

Contact Us
  • 86-10-68597521 (day)

    86-10-68597289 (night)

  • 86-10-68511095 (day)

    86-10-68512458 (night)

  • cas_en@cas.cn

  • 52 Sanlihe Rd., Xicheng District,

    Beijing, China (100864)

Copyright © 2002 - Chinese Academy of Sciences