Automated quasi‐continuous immunoanalysis of pesticides with a flow injection system

摘要

AbstractChemical methods (HPLC, GC/MS) for the control of pesticides in water at low concentrations are time‐consuming, expensive and need sample pre‐concentration. Immunoassays offer the potential of rapid, inexpensive, sensitive and specific detection methods. This paper presents a flow injection system that is based on immunochemical reaction and which provides the opportunity for automated, quasi‐continuous measurements for screening water samples for the presence of pesticides.The method of flow injection immunoanalysis (FIIA) was compared with competitive ELISA (enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay). It is possible to measure in the range of interest of 0·1 μg litre−1, which is the limiting value of the European drinking water directive.Measurements were made for the triazine herbicides atrazine and propazine, which both cross‐react with the polyclonal antiserum used.Furthermore, this device includes a new development of a membrane reactor for the exchange of used biological material, in this case antibodies. A brief comparison of ELISA and FIIA is presented, giving an overview of some aspects