The increasing popularity of edible insects as a sustainable food source necessitates stringent safety measures to monitor pesticide contamination. This study aimed to assess and enhance a QuEChERS-based extraction method coupled with gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) for the quantification of pesticide residues in edible insects (bamboo caterpillars, house crickets, silkworm pupae, giant water bugs, and grasshoppers) by combining multiple individual insect specimens into a single, homogenized sample—five replicates were tested. The method was optimized by evaluating various extraction parameters and showed strong linearity for all 47 target pesticides, with correlation coefficients (R²) ranging from 0.9940 to 0.9999. The limits of detection (LODs) varied between 1 and 10 µg/kg, while the limits of quantification (LOQs) ranged from 10 to 15 µg/kg. Recovery studies conducted at three fortification levels (10, 100, and 500 µg/kg) revealed recoveries ranging from 64.54% to 122.12%, that over 97.87% of the pesticides exhibited satisfactory recoveries within the range of 70–120%, and relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 20%, between 1.86% and 6.02%. Matrix effects (%MEs) range from −33.01% to 24.04%, and to those that experienced no effect. More than 94% of the analytes showed minimal ion suppression or enhancement. These results conform to the SANTE guidelines for monitoring pesticide residues in edible insects, enhancing food safety standards and safeguarding consumer protection.

Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is a hazardous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon that accumulates in several environmental matrices as a result of incomplete combustion. Its presence, carcinogenic properties, and tendency for bioaccumulation provide significant risks to human health and the environment. The objective of this study is to create an immunoassay for the detection of benzo[a]pyrene utilizing immunoglobulin Y antibodies. An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) was utilized to develop a speedy, straightforward, sensitive, and economical approach for detecting B[a]P residues. Following the immunization of hens with the hapten pyrenebutyric acid-bovine serum albumin (PyBA-BSA), the IgY antibody extracted from egg yolk was utilized to identify B[a]P residues. To evaluate antibody specificity, six PAH derivatives—PyBA, B[a]P, Chrysene, Benzo[b]fluoranthene, Benzo[a]anthracene, and Benzo[k]fluoranthene—were examined in the experiment to compete for binding with PyBA. The findings indicate that the antibody had considerable affinity for Chrysene (1.15%), Benzo[b]fluoranthene (311.32%), Benzo[k]fluoranthene (10.62%), Benzo[a]anthracene (22.82%), and PyBA (9.55%). Nonetheless, its affinity for B[a]P remained at 100%. The recovery range for grilled pork samples spiked with B[a]P doses of 10.00–0.1 μg/mL was 74.99% to 143.11%. This study utilized a polyclonal antibody, employing the IgY antibody for the inaugural development of an immunoassay to detect benzo[a]pyrene. The ELISA had a higher IC₅₀ value compared to the other immunoassays; however, it yielded good results. This immunoassay signifies a substantial progression in environmental analytical chemistry, offering a cost-effective and accessible technique for the detection of B[a]P to protect human health and the environment.

The widespread use of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides in agriculture poses significant health risks due to their cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitory effects. However, existing detection methods are often expensive and require specialized facilities, limiting their accessibility. This study developed a cost-effective, portable, and sensitive sensor using personal glucose meter (PGM) technology to detect ChE activity in human blood and pesticide residues in vegetables. A thiocholine-based assay was designed to measure ChE activity via PGM, enabling the assessment of enzyme inhibition caused by pesticide exposure. The optimized PGM-based sensor achieved limits of detection (LODs) of 0.138 ppm for mevinphos and 0.113 ppm for carbofuran in standard solutions, with strong correlations (R > 0.99) between standard and fortified samples, indicating high sensitivity and accuracy. The method demonstrated reliable detection of ChE inhibition at pesticide concentrations as low as 0.05 ppm. The developed sensor offers a portable and efficient tool for point-of-care diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and food safety applications. This approach enhances public health protection by enabling accessible pesticide detection. Future work will focus on expanding detection capabilities, improving specificity and stability, and conducting clinical validation for broader applications.

Pesticide residues in food and agricultural products continue to constitute a significant concern for food safety, particularly when rapid decision-making is required across production and supply chains. Although chromatographic methods such as GC-MS and LC-MS/MS remain essential for confirmatory analysis, their dependence on central laboratories limits their applicability for field screening. Consequently, portable biosensor-based detection platforms have attracted increasing attention as rapid screening tools. This review synthesizes 26 peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2025 on portable biosensor-based screening tools for pesticide detection in food and agricultural matrices, including electrochemical sensors, immunoassays, aptamer-based systems, paper-based lateral flow devices, and smartphone-assisted platforms. Given the heterogeneity of analytes, sensing mechanisms, and study designs, a narrative synthesis approach was applied. Overall, the evidence suggests a shift from laboratory-centered detection toward field-deployable technologies that may support preliminary screening within food safety monitoring frameworks. Paper-based lateral flow assays are widely reported as deployable formats, while electrochemical and affinity-based platforms are often positioned as intermediate solutions for mobile or semi-controlled testing environments. However, most platforms remain at the proof-of-concept or early validation stage, and challenges related to matrix interference, long-term stability, reproducibility, standardization, and large-scale implementation persist. This review highlights the potential role of portable biosensor technologies as complementary tools within tiered food safety monitoring systems and outlines key priorities for further development before wider regulatory integration can be considered.

Northern Thailand experiences seasonal surges in PM₂.₅ pollution, posing significant respiratory health risks. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate associations between PAHs exposure and early health biomarkers. In April 2024, 127 rural residents in Chiang Mai were recruited during a high-exposure period (mean monthly PM_2.5 = 41.7 μg/m³). Participants reporting eye irritation and pneumonia showed significantly higher 8-iso-PGF₂α levels (p = 0.010 and 0.012, respectively). Smokers exhibited elevated CC16 levels (130.0 ± 65.3 ng/mL) compared to non-smokers (96.3 ± 39.9 ng/mL, p < 0.05). CC16 was also significantly associated with self-reported symptoms, including fatigue, poor sleep quality, and activity limitation. For example, participants who reported difficulty performing daily activities (i.e., disagreed with the statement “I can do things at home without any restrictions”) had significantly higher CC16 levels (108 ± 47 ng/mL) than those without such limitations (74 ± 35 ng/mL; p < 0.001). A weak but significant positive correlation was observed between respiratory rate and CC16 (R² = 0.334, p = 0.001). Interestingly, serum 8-iso-PGF₂α was inversely associated with diabetes (OR = 0.965; 95% CI: 0.935–0.997; p = 0.033), potentially indicating a compensatory or phenotype-specific oxidative stress response. In addition, CC16 levels were positively associated with diabetes (p = 0.022), suggesting altered epithelial responses in individuals with metabolic disease. CC16 and 8-iso-PGF₂α demonstrated significant associations with respiratory symptoms and metabolic status, suggesting their potential as early indicators for environmental health surveillance in haze-affected populations.

This multi-level study investigates the economic resilience of mango farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic and their pesticide management practices under Thailand’s Q-GAP (Quality Good Agricultural Practices) certification standard. Field surveys compared the economic outcomes of 104 certified and 151 non-certified farmers from 2019 to 2023, together with pesticide use practices during the year preceding the 2024 survey. The sample was drawn from three provinces in northern Thailand: Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, and Phichit. The statistical analysis of the collected information produced several key findings. Certified farms achieved significantly higher production and sales than non-certified farms over the five-year period, mainly due to larger farm size and higher prices obtained from premium export market sales. Certified farmers also adopted a wider range of coping strategies during the pandemic, whereas non-certified farmers mainly reduced mango investments related to mango cultivation. Certified farmers reported significantly higher rates of insecticide and fungicide adoption, as well as significantly higher annual pesticide application frequencies across all three pesticide categories. Residue analysis showed no significant difference in organophosphate (OP) residues between the two groups; however, pyrethroid (PY) residues were significantly higher among certified farms. This pattern suggests that certified farmers may apply pesticides more intensively to satisfy the aesthetic requirements of premium export markets. Regression results further showed that herbicide application frequency was the only factor marginally associated with PY-type residue levels among certified farmers, although this finding should be interpreted cautiously because of the weak model fit.