ABSTRACT
Enzyme immunoassay kits are now available for qualitative field-testing or for laboratory screening and semiquantitative analysis of pesticides, herbicides, PCBs, mononuclear and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, pentachlorophenol, nitroorganics, and many other compounds in aqueous and soil samples. Certain analytes may be quantitatively determined as well, with a degree of accuracy comparable to gas chromatography or high-performance liquid chromatography determination. The analytical procedure consists of three steps: sample extraction, assay, and color formation for the visual or spectrophotometric determination of the analyte in the sample. If a semiquantitative or quantitative analysis is desired, the concentration of the analyte can be determined from a calibration curve prepared by plotting absorbance or optical density against concentrations of a series of standards. The chapter describes the principle of immunoassay testing. Detection limits in the range of low ppb can be achieved by immunoassay testing for certain parameters in aqueous samples.
