Swedish researchers have developed a small, inexpensive sensor that can detect pesticides on fruit within minutes.
According to researchers, half of the fruit sold in the European Union contains traces of pesticides. Insecticides that can be harmful to our health in large quantities. The presence of these substances can, of course, be measured, but not in a cheap and easy way.
And so the Swedish team of scientists began this work. They made a sensor out of silver nanospheres on a sheet of glass, using a thermal spray technique that facilitates mass production of the material. Then, the distance between the spheres was adjusted to be more sensitive to particle detection.
Test the sensor on an apple with pesticide residue. Put a cotton swab on it and put it in a liquid and drip this liquid on the sensor. And yes, within five minutes the sensor detected the leftovers, and without the apple, it was the trash I had to look for. The hope is that soon they will be used in stores, for example by fruit sellers, or maybe someday by us.
Read more: Nano sensor detects pesticides on fruit in minutes†
