A biosensor consisting of physically entrapped monomethyl sulfate (methyl sulfate) degrading bacterium, Hyphomicrobium MS 219, and a combined glass electrode has been developed for the determination of methyl sulfate. The response of the bacterial electrode is linear between 2.5 x 10(-2)M and 6.3 x 10(-1)M methyl sulfate with an effective response to concentrations as low as 10(-3)M and as high as 1M methyl sulfate. The probe has an average slope of 8 mV per concentration decade over the linear range. Response times vary from 5 min in the linear range to 30 min at the detection limit. The sensor has a lifetime of at least 1 week and shows high selectivity to methyl sulfate in the absence of other growth substrates.