Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Compared with Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry for the Determination of Triazine Herbicides in Water

Abstract

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was compared to a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) procedure for the analysis of triazine herbicides and their metabolites in surface water and groundwater. Apparent recoveries from natural water and spiked water by both methods were comparable at 0.2-2 Îg/L. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was examined also, and recoveries were determined for a suite of triazine herbicides. A significant correlation was obtained between the ELISA and GC/MS method for natural water samples that were extracted by SPE. Because ELISA was developed with an atrazine-like compound as the hapten with conjugation at the 2-position, it was selective for triazines that contained both ethyl and isopropyl side chains. Concentrations for 50% inhibition (IC₅₀) were as follows: atrazine, 0.4 Îg/L; ametryne, 0.45 Îg/L; prometryn and propazine, 0.5 Îg/L; prometon, 0.7 Îg/L; simazine and terbutryn, 2.5 Îg/L; hydroxyatrazine, 28 Îg/L; deethylatrazine and deisopropylatrazine, 30 Îg/L; cyanazine, 40 Îg/L; didealkylatrazine had no response. The combination of screening analysis by ELISA, which requires no sample preparation and works on 160 ÎL of sample, and confirmation by GC/MS was designed for rapid, inexpensive analysis of triazine herbicides in water.

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Thurman, E.M., Meyer, M., Pomes, M., Perry, C.A., and Schwab, A.P., 1990, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay compared with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for the determination of triazine herbicides in water: Analytical Chemistry, v. 62, no. 18, p. 2043-2048.

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