2025/06/01 by Isaac D. Juárez, Nicholas R. Shepard, Cole Sebok +3 · 1 voice
Environmental Science · Chemistry · #Heavy metals in environment #Analytical chemistry methods development #Electrochemical Analysis and Applications
paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/pld3.70086
openalex publication_date 2025/06/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
). Current methods of detection for HMs, such as ICP-MS, provide accurate measurements but are destructive and labor-intensive, limiting their feasibility for widespread agricultural use. In this study, we investigated the potential of Raman spectroscopy (RS) as a nondestructive, cost-effective alternative for the detection of HM stress and thereby uptake in rice. Using a dose-response experimental design, we examined the sensitivity of RS for detecting varying levels of arsenic, cadmium, and lead-induced stress. Our analyses revealed several dose-dependent changes in Raman peaks associated with carotenoid and phenylpropanoid abundance. We found these changes were specific to each HM, reflecting the activation of distinct stress-response mechanisms. We also performed ICP-MS of harvested rice tissue, allowing us to build Raman-based calibration curves for predicting the HM concentration within rice. Lastly, we built a machine-learning algorithm that could interpret the Raman spectra to diagnose the specific type of HM toxicity with an average of 84.5% accuracy after only 1 week of HM stress. These findings highlight the promise of RS as a valuable tool for real-time, nondestructive monitoring of HM contamination in rice crops. Notably, the dose-response experimental design demonstrated RS's ability to detect HM stress levels that aligned with typical environmental contamination.