RELIABILITY OF COMMERCIAL ENZYME-IMMUNOASSAY IN DETECTION OF ATRAZINE IN WATER

Surface, municipal, and ground water (117 samples) from six midwestern states were tested for levels of eight triazine herbicides by a commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and by gas chromatography (GC). The herbicides measured by GC were ametryn, atrazine, prometryn, propazine, simazine, terbuthylazine, terbutryn, and trietazine. Chromatographic analysis detected triazine levels of greater-than-or-equal-to 0.1-mu-g/L. A limit of detection of 0.4-mu-g/L was found for the EIA. Atrazine was present in 34 of 36 samples testing positive for triazines by GC. Eight samples had triazine levels greater-than-or-equal-to 0.4-mu-g/L by GC analysis and all tested positive by the EIA. Twenty-eight samples had triazine levels of 0.1-0.3-mu-g/L by GC and twelve of these gave EIA responses greater-than-or-equal-to 0.4-mu-g/L. All samples having < 0.1-mu-g/L of triazines by GC gave negative EIA responses.