An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the determination of dioxins in contaminated sediment and soil samples.
A 96-microwell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was evaluated to determine PCDDs/PCDFs in sediment and soil samples from an EPA Superfund site. Samples were prepared and analyzed by both the ELISA and a gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry (GC/HRMS) method. Comparable method precision, accuracy, and detection level (8 ng kg(-1)) were achieved by the ELISA method with respect to GC/HRMS. However, the extraction and cleanup method developed for the ELISA requires refinement for the soil type that yielded a waxy residue after sample processing. Four types of statistical analyses (Pearson correlation coefficient, paired t-test, nonparametric tests, and McNemar's test of association) were performed to determine whether the two methods produced statistically different results. The log-transformed ELISA-derived 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin values and log-transformed GC/HRMS-derived TEQ values were significantly correlated (r=0.79) at the 0.05 level. The median difference in values between ELISA and GC/HRMS was not significant at the 0.05 level. Low false negative and false positive rates (<10%) were observed for the ELISA when compared to the GC/HRMS at 1,000 ng TEQ kg(-1). The findings suggest that immunochemical technology could be a complementary monitoring tool for determining concentrations at the 1,000 ng TEQ kg(-1) action level for contaminated sediment and soil. The ELISA could also be used in an analytical triage approach to screen and rank samples prior to instrumental analysis.
Emon
Jeanette M Van
JM
US Environmental Protection Agency, National Exposure Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 93478, Las Vegas, NV 89193-3478, USA. VanEmon.Jeanette@epa.gov
Chuang
Jane C
JC
Lordo
Robert A
RA
Schrock
Mary E
ME
Nichkova
Mikaela
M
Gee
Shirley J
SJ
Hammock
Bruce D
BD
D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
D004147:Dioxins; D012989:Soil Pollutants