title: A competitive immunochromatographic assay based on a novel probe for the detection of mercury (II) ions in water samples.
abstract: Mercury ions (Hg(2+)) are one of the most dangerous pollutants. Even at low concentration, it causes serious environmental and health problems. Current methods for the detection of Hg(2+) in environmental samples are tedious and time consuming because they require sophisticated instrumentation and complicated sample pre-treatment processes. In this work, a novel probe with high selectivity towards Hg(2+) was synthesized and a one step competitive immunochromatographic assay based on the probe for the detection of Hg(2+) was developed and applied for water samples. The detection conjugate was immobilized on one end of the nitrocellulose membrane (detection line) and anti-BSA polyclonal antibody was immobilized on the other end of the membrane (control line). Hg(2+) in samples competed with the probe to bind with immobilized detection conjugate. The visual detection limit of Hg(2+) in spiked water samples was found to be about 1 ppb. The qualitative assay can be performed within 15 min. The advantages of the technique are rapidity, low cost and without the need of any equipment and complicated sample preparation.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, Xi-an Road 5333, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130062, PR China. zhouyu69@sina.com
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fengguang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Yansong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shiying
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Honglin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Qingfeng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Zhaohui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Junhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qijun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zengshan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D002845:Chromatography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D015336:Molecular Probe Techniques; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014867:Water; D008628:Mercury