Nanosensor Integration for Adulterant Detection
Cross-Country Thematic Comparison
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3991/ijoe.v22i06.61529Keywords:
Biomedical applicationAbstract
Adulterants, such as diethylene glycol in syrups, compromise drug safety globally. This study explores nanosensors (nanoscale electrochemical/optical devices) for real-time contaminant detection at parts-per-billion levels in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). The study uses thematic analysis of secondary literature to compare nanosensor adoption across four contexts: the U.S. (FDA gold nanoparticle pilots), the EU (graphene platforms under the European Medical Association), China (state-backed heavy metal sensors), and India (IIT-developed adulterant detectors). Coding reveals patterns in sensitivity, scalability gaps, and regulatory hurdles, contrasting U.S./EU lab-to-market pipelines. The study applies qualitative thematic analysis to peer-reviewed literature published between 2021 and 2026. The findings indicate substantial potential for high detection accuracy using nanosensors, offering a blueprint for resilient global pharma quality control. Management benefits include faster quality alerts, unified compliance dashboards, and cross-border standardization, addressing the EU’s serialization maturity vs. Asia’s fragmented testing.
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