The innovative and accurate detection of heavy metals in foods: A critical review on electrochemical sensors

Abstract

Food safety has given rise to unprecedented concern worldwide. Heavy metal contamination in foods poses serious threats to food safety and human health due to undemanding bioaccumulation and high toxicity, even at low concentrations. The high-efficiency detection of heavy metals is pivotal for ensuring food safety. The electrochemical sensor-based strategy is a promising candidate in heavy metal detection, owing to its high flexibility, selectivity, and accuracy. This review focused on the advances of electrochemical sensors (ECS) for detecting heavy metals in foods. Firstly, the basic principle of ECS was introduced. Then, research progress on ECS detection of heavy metals with various materials modified electrodes, including inorganic materials (such as metal and metal oxide nanoparticle