Paper-based microextraction tool for the in vitro and eco-friendly detection and degradation of malathion pesticide from soybean seeds

To increase agricultural productivity, malathion is widely used as a low-cost organophosphate pesticide for soybean cultivation to protect crops from insects. The unregulated use of malathion facilitates its entry into the food chain, resulting in harmful effects on human health. Conventional sample preparation techniques are limited due to their multi-step processes and excessive solvent consumption. Here, paper-based microextraction strips were developed with phytase enzyme and divinylbenzene (DVB) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymers for the simultaneous preconcentration of malathion and the degradation of the pesticides into less toxic phosphorodithioic acid (PDA) byproducts. The sampling strips were tested with a soybean seed matrix after spiking with 500–10000 ng mL⁻¹ of malathion and finally analyzed by triple quad gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The method achieved a limit of detection of ∼82 ng mL⁻¹ for malathion quantification, ensuring the practical applicability of the strips as per regulatory limits (2000 ng mL⁻¹ by the Codex Alimentarius and European Union regulations). The dual-functionality-based paper strips provide a single analytical platform for capturing the malathion pesticide and degrading this pesticide into non-toxic byproducts. The method exhibited good linearity and a high greenness score, confirming the eco-friendliness and efficiency of the sample preparation technique for the determination of pesticides. Therefore, this simple, disposable enzyme-coated paper strip could be useful for the detection and remediation of malathion from soybean seeds in a green way.