DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY FOR ALACHLOR AND ITS APPLICATION TO THE ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL WATER SAMPLES

Alachlor was covalently attached to sheep 7-immunoglobulin (IgG), and the resulting hapten-protein conjugate was used to induce the production in rabbits of polyclonal antibodies directed toward alachlor. Cross-reactivity studies showed that these antibodies were capable of distinguishing alachlor from other structurally similar chloroacetanilide herbicides, including metolachlor, and that they showed little cross-reactivity toward the major soil metabolites of alachlor. The antibodies were used to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for alachlor in water with a detection range of 0. 28. 0 ppb. The concentration of alachlor in environmental water samples was measured by ELISA, and the results were compared with those obtained by a GC/MS method. © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.