Photothermal card reader assay using the commercial colloidal gold test strip for the rapid quantitative detection of food hazards

The simple and rapid commercial colloidal gold test strip can only be used for qualitative or semi-quantitative detection, accompanied by weak detectability and false negative experimental results. Herein, a photothermal test strip assay which combined test strip with a portable photothermal card reader was established to achieve quantitative detection with excellent detectability. According to the photothermal effect produced by gold nanoparticles (GNPs) captured on the test line, the signal could be recorded by the reader. Thirteen food hazards including veterinary drug residues and pesticide residues were tested; the photothermal detectability in actual samples were about 23 (methyl parathion), 7 (enrofloxacin), 6 (sarafloxacin), 8 (sulfadiazine), 12 (sulfamethazine), 7 (paraquat), 6 (malachite green), 11 (amantadine), 13 (nitrofurazone), 6 (diethylstilbestrol), 12 (estriol), 21 (estrone), and 26 (17β-estradiol) times better than the visual detectability. Our results demonstrated that the photothermal test strip assay could be used for sensitive, rapid, and quantitative detection of residues of food hazards. Graphical abstract