An optical sensor for pesticide determination based on the autoindicating optical properties of peroxidase.

During the enzymatic reaction of the heme-protein Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with hydrogen peroxide there are changes in the molecular absorption spectra of HRP and its different oxidation states which can be used for quantitative determination of the substrate. One of these intermediate oxidation states is the HRPII, with iron as an oxyferryl. This compound is assumed to be responsible for the organophosphate pesticide degradation in the Fenton reaction.