Breakthrough in Thiram Detection: New Colorimetric Platform for On-Site Monitoring

Scientists at the East China University of Technology have developed a novel "turn-on" colorimetric platform for the on-site monitoring of thiram, a widely used fungicide, in vegetable and fruit samples. This breakthrough has significant implications for ensuring food safety and human health. The research, published in Analytica Chimica Acta, presents a facile and efficient method for thiram detection, using copper-doped covalent organic polymers (Cu@COP) that mimic the catalytic activity of laccase.

Key Takeaways:

• The new colorimetric platform uses Cu@COP to catalyze a chromogenic reaction, producing a wine-red product that can be detected within 5 minutes.
• The method has high selectivity and accuracy, successfully determining thiram concentrations in Mango, Cabbage, and Lake water samples with recoveries ranging from 91.6 to 106.5%.
• The Cu@COP-based method has been shown to be reliable and consistent, with well-agreed results compared to standard LC-MS/MS methods.
• The Cu@COP platform displays excellent laccase-like activity and high stability, making it a promising detection tool for on-site monitoring of thiram residues in real samples.
• This research has significant implications for ensuring food safety and human health, particularly in regions where thiram is widely used as a fungicide.
• The authors' work not only synthesizes a new Cu@COP with excellent laccase-like activity but also develops a reliable colorimetric method for thiram detection in complex samples.

Statistics:

• The recoveries of thiram concentrations in Mango, Cabbage, and Lake water samples ranged from 91.6 to 106.5%.
• The determined thiram concentrations in fruit and vegetable samples agreed well with those obtained by the standard LC-MS/MS method.
• The Cu@COP-based method can detect thiram within 5 minutes, with a characteristic absorption at 510 nm.

Sources:

• Bioinspired copper-doped covalent organic polymers with laccase-mimicking activity for on-site monitoring of thiram in fruit and vegetable samples. Analytica Chimica Acta, 2025;1360:344129.
• East China University of Technology Reports Findings in Chemicals and Chemistry. Chemicals & Chemistry, June 13, 2025; p 866.
• Elsevier, Radarweg 29, 1043 Nx Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Analytica Chimica Acta - www.journals.elsevier.com/analytica-chimica-acta/)