
Environmental contamination by pesticides is a worldwide problem. This is especially the case in developing countries where resources are often lacking for monitoring the levels of contamination using high-tech lab instrumentation. That’s where EEES Ph.D. candidate David Bahamon‑Pinzon comes in. Bahamon‑Pinzon’s research is focused on developing low cost facile electrochemical sensors for amperometric determination of pesticides in water samples, including glyphosate, a widely used herbicide. The results of his research were recently published in the journal Microchimica Acta.

Along with his advisor, Dr. Diana Vanegas, and other members of the Vanegas lab, David will be traveling to the country of Colombia during the summer of 2022 to challenge the measurement system with real water samples from rural settlements. Deployment of sensors like the ones Bahamon‑Pinzon is developing will significantly improve access to information about the dangers of contaminated water supplies, especially in rural areas.