Mitochondrial-based voltammetric sensor for pesticides

The mode of action of many pesticides is to inhibit electron transport chain complexes of the mitochondria of living cells. Therefore, this paper investigated whether mitochondrial modified electrodes could be utilized to electrochemically sense pesticides. This paper details the fabrication of a two electrode electrochemical cell utilizing a mitochondrial modified bioanode in pyruvate solution and an air-breathing platinum cathode. 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, atrazine, paraquat, parathion, and permethrin were studied as pesticides. Pesticide detection was performed by background subtracted linear scan voltammetry of the two-electrode mitochondrial biofuel cell before and after the addition of pesticide. Pesticides were shown to attenuate pyruvate bioelectrocatalysis for all pesticides studied. A concentration study was performed with atrazine and showed a sigmoidal inhibition response with concentration and the ability to detect concentrations at the EPA maximum contaminant level of 3 ppb.