Detection of Cypermethrin at Ultra Low Concentrations via Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Abstract

As the World population increases, the main motivation of the agriculture industry becomes to obtain much more agriproducts from unit agriculture area, which hereby promotes the use of pesticides at the expense of harming nature and threatening human and animal health. Cypermethrin, which is a synthetic pyrethroid, is utilised as an insecticide in agriculture industry. While being highly toxic to bees and fish in nature, its gradual aggregation also gives rise to contamination of soil and grand water to a significant extent. Thus, its detection at even ultra low concentrations is of utmost importance, in terms of human and natural life’s safety. Currently, several analytical methods such as gas chromatography, mass spectroscopy, and HPLC, are utilised in order to detect cypermethrin. These methods require expensive consumables and analysing durations are quite long. At this point, Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy emerges as an effective alternative. In this method, metal nanoparticle structures are utilised in order to boost Raman Signals, which have low intensities. In this study, Ag Nanowire structures are used in order to detect cypermethrin pesticide at even ultra-low concentrations. Cypermethrin solutions from 10-3 M to 10-10 M are detected via Raman Spectroscopy, in a very short duration with regard to analytical methods and without the need to almost any consumables.