Comparison of dioxin and furan TEQ determination in contaminated soil using chemical, micro-EROD, and immunoassay analysis.
High resolution mass spectrometry gas chromatography (GC/MS) is the standard method for dioxin and furan analysis in environmental matrices. Considered as very accurate, this method is however time consuming and expensive. Methods based on biological interactions have the necessary sensitivity but began only recently to be investigated in the context of environmental applications. We have compared dioxin and furan toxicity levels (expressed as toxic equivalent quantities (TEQs)) in soil samples by three analytical approaches: the micro-ethoxyresorufin-o-deethylase (EROD) bioassay (a receptor-based method), an immunoassay (antibody-based method) and GC/MS analysis (used as a reference) using a shortened extraction-purification method. Both biological methods were sensitive to interferences from compounds co-extracted from samples. Most samples were underestimated by the immunoassay and, at a greater extent, overestimated by the EROD bioassay. The average accuracy of TEQ estimation (86 +/- 45% of values established by GC/MS) and the absence of false-negatives showed by the immunoassay suggest the usefulness of this method for semi-quantitative, preliminary characterization of potentially contaminated sites.
Roy
Sébastien
S
Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Centre d'Etude et de Valorisation de la Diversité Microbienne, Université de Sherbrooke, Qué., Canada.
Mysior
Pawel
P
Brzezinski
Ryszard
R
D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004147:Dioxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005663:Furans / Q000633:toxicity*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D004147:Dioxins; D005663:Furans; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1