Inhibition-based biosensors for the detection of environmental contaminants: determination of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.

In this work data are reported on the possibility for detection of environmental contaminants endowed with toxic effects by specifically designed electrochemical biosensors. A new bienzymatic inhibition biosensor based on the combined catalytic activity of the enzymes alkaline phosphatase and glucose oxidase is proposed and discussed for the direct determination of 2, 4-dichloro-phenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D), one of the most powerful and diffused defoliants, which also is endowed with estrogenic properties. A discussion on the different approaches followed to manage the experimental data obtained by enzymatic inhibition biosensors is also presented.