Conductometric tyrosinase biosensor for the detection of diuron, atrazine and its main metabolites

The determination of diuron, atrazine, desisopropylatrazine (DIA) and desethylatrazine (DEA) were investigated using conductometric tyrosinase biosensor. Tyrosinase was immobilised on the biosensor sensitive part by allowing it to mix with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and then cross-linking in saturated glutaraldehyde (GA) vapour for 30 min. The determination of pollutants in a solution was performed by comparison of the output signal (i.e percentage of the enzymatic activity) of the biosensor before and after contact with pollutants. The measurement of the enzymatic activity was performed using 4-chlorophenol, phenol and catechol substrates and response times ranging from 1 to 5 min were observed. A 4-chlorophenol substrate was used to detect pesticides. A 30 min contact time of the biosensor in the pollutant solution was used. Under the experimental conditions employed, detection limits for diuron and atrazine were about 1 ppb and dynamic range of 2.3–2330 and 2.15–2150 ppb were obtained for diuron and atrazine, respectively. A relative standard deviation (n=3) of the output signal was estimated to be 5% and a slight drift of 1.5 μS h−1 was observed. The 90% of the enzyme activity was still maintained after 23 days of storage in a buffer solution at 4 °C.