Emerging technologies in biosensors for pesticide monitoring in agri-food systems: systematic review and quantitative analysis of detection limits

Abstract

The intensive use of pesticides in modern agriculture has increased concerns about food safety and environmental contamination, driving the development of rapid and portable analytical tools. Although conventional chromatographic techniques offer high accuracy, their application in the field is limited. In this context, biosensors have emerged as promising alternatives for in situ pesticide residue monitoring. This paper presents a systematic review of 49 studies published between 2020 and 2026, selected using the PRISMA methodology. Platforms based on enzyme inhibition, nanozymes, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), aptasensors and immunosensors, whole-cell systems, and portable point-of-care devices were analyzed. A quantitative analysis of the limit of detection (LOD) was performed using the geometric mean due to the log-normal distribution of the data. The results show that MIPs exhibit the highest average sensitivity (10−10 M), followed by enzymatic biosensors and aptasensors (10−8 M), while nanozymes and portable platforms reach 10−7 M and whole-cell systems 10−6 M. These findings demonstrate a transition toward hybrid, sensitive, and digitally integrated biosensors geared toward real-world agricultural applications.