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Organophosphate and carbamate pesticides are powerful neurotoxins that impede the activity of cholinesterase enzyme leading to severe health effects. This study firstly reports the development, characterisation, and application of thick-film acetylcholinesterase (AChE) biosensors based on a gold electrode modified with a mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) self-assembled monolayer and either poly(o-methoxyaniline) (POMA) or poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline) (PDMA) in the presence of polystyrene(4-sulphonic acid) (PSSA). The Au/MBT/POMA-PSSA/AChE and Au/MBT/PDMA-PSSA/AChE biosensors were then applied to successfully detect standard organophosphorous and carbamate pesticides in a 0.1 M phosphate buffer, 0.1 M KCl (pH 7.2) solution. Secondly, it reports the construction of the Au/MBT/PANI/AChE/PVAc thick-film biosensor for the determination of certain organophosphate and carbamate pesticide solutions in selected aqueous organic solvent solutions.

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Vernon Somerset has a PhD in Electro-analytical Chemistry and has joined the CSIR in 2007. With more than 10 years experience in Environmental Chemistry research, he has worked on various projects focussing on the sources, transport pathways and fates of the inorganic and organic pollutants in the environment.

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