Comparative study for the impedimetric detection and quantification of adulterants in different bio-consumables

Abstract

Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) technique is found to be an excellent candidate for bio-sensing and food quality monitoring applications due to its rapid, robust, cost-effective and point-of-care approach. The present research work investigates the implementation of EIS technique supported by several optical spectroscopic techniques such as Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) and Fourier Transform Mid Infrared (FT-MIR) to detect and quantify several toxic adulterants in foods and bio-consumables. In the current work, the technique is applied to adulterated saccharides, honey, turmeric and milk samples. EIS study exhibited a steady variation of the electrical impedance with increasing adulterant percentage in the solution. Variation of such properties due to adulteration provides a systematic sensor plot through which one can determine their percentage of adulteration in unknown adulterated samples. Alternatively, extensive justification of UV-Vis and FT-MIR results have been enclosed in this study and has been corroborated with the EIS results, wherever applicable. Focus has been given on the process of design and fabrication of bio-sensor devices for detection and quantification of a variety of adulterants in milk samples.