Advanced Field-Deployable Monitor of Multiple Pesticides in Water

The development of an inexpensive, field pesticide sensor would serve a large market for researchers, municipalities and regulatory agencies to minimize the risks involved in pesticide use. The long-term vision is for this technology to become a key environmental science tool to support water quality monitoring efforts. The proposed device will solve two of the most important shortcomings of present technology for environmental analysis: the limitation of current systems to the detection of a single class of closely related compounds, and the limited sensitivity and accuracy of field assays. The technology aims to increase safety of drinking water worldwide (which is a key aspect of the mission of USDA), prevent pesticide-related disease, reduce ecological impact, and improve efforts to protect wildlife and human life from harmful pesticide levels.