A new device capable of detecting and measuring the level of concentration of pesticides in vegetables has been designed by a group of researchers in Spain. The researchers from the Universidad de Jaén (UJA) specialise in the development of applied sensors for the control of agricultural and food processes.
As reported by HortoInfo.es, a semi-automatic sensor is able to quantify the presence of pesticides in a fast and effective way, as explained in detail in the scientific magazine Talanta, under the title 'Development of a semi-automatic and sensitive photochemically induced fluorescence sensor for the determination of thiamethoxam in vegetables'.
The sensor is also less expensive than existing alternatives and allows a higher frequency of samples.
"It's a system that, given its characteristics of speed, automation and versatility, could easily be implemented in a lab, with the objective of undertaking quality control of vegetables," said Antonio Ruíz Medina, one of the researchers who participated in the project.
