(188cd) Electrochemical Biosensors for Pollutant Detection

Endocrine disruptors, an especially problematic class of environmental pollutants, have gained significant attention because of their ubiquity. These compounds are found in many products for daily use, including plastics, medications, and pesticides. Endocrine disruptors are especially problematic because they have been implicated in many health problems, ranging from cancer to infertility and diabetes. We have developed two electrochemical strategies for the rapid detection and quantification these compounds. One technique involves the specific detection and quantification of the estrogenic compound Bisphenol A (BPA) using a DNA aptamer immobilized on an electrode. The second method involves the measurement of the biological activity of chemically dissimilar estrogenic compounds using a human hormone receptor as a component of an electrochemical sandwich assay. These electrochemical platforms require no specialized skills to implement and have enabled very sensitive detection (sub-ppb levels) of these environmental pollutants from complex solutions, such as baby formula.