skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Environmental monitoring by immunoassay: Current and future trends

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5973373

Immunoassays for low molecular weight molecules have become increasingly popular in part, this is a result of the simplicity and potentially low cost of immunoassays when compared with conventional analytical methods. Environmental application of immunoassays, however, poses new challenges. First, not only must the parent compound be detected but often one would also like to detect metabolites or environmentally weathered'' products. Monoclonal antibody technology offers the possibility of selecting antibodies that have specific binding characteristics, eg. those that bind to a family of similar compounds or to broad classes of chemicals. Next, a simple rapid sample preparation method must be available. Unlike clinical assays that run in serum or other biological fluids (ideal matrixes for antibodies), environmental sample consist of soils, sediments, chemical sludges, water and air samples. Thus, in all cases, with the possible exception of water samples, the analyte of interest must be extracted and presented to the antibody in an appropriate buffer system. Once these criteria are met, immunoassays present an attractive alternative for conventional analytical methods. The most direct application of immunoassays will undoubtedly as as screening assays, with positives being confirmed by gas liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). However, coupling immunoassay with other analytical methods, such as with high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) converts a single residue immunoassay into a multiresidue method. Finally, immunoaffinity chromatography procedures are useful as methods for sample clean-up, followed by immunochemical detection or more traditional detection methods. 15 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOA; Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
5973373
Report Number(s):
UCRL-JC-105276; CONF-9008194-1; ON: DE91008740
Resource Relation:
Conference: 7. international congress of pesticide chemistry, Hamburg (Germany, F.R.), 5-10 Aug 1990
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English