Detection and quantification of dithiocarbamate pesticides by Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)

Dithiocarbamates are a subclass of carbamate pesticides that are widely used as insecticidal agents on food crops in the US and abroad. Quantitative determination of trace quantities of dithiocarbamates is necessary in order to mitigate potential human exposure via pesticide residues left on inadequately washed food items as well as groundwater contamination from agricultural runoff. The focus of this research is on the development and optimization of a Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) based analytical technique for the quantitative determination of trace amounts of dithiocarbamate pesticides in different matrices. Gold nanoparticles of different shapes and sizes will be investigated to determine the suitability of these materials as SERS active substrates for the trace analysis of dithiocarbamate pesticides. Analytical sensitivity will be evaluated by determining the limits of detection using established statistical methods.