DEVELOPMENT OF POLARIZATION FLUOROIMMUNOASSAY FOR THE DETECTION OF S-TRIAZINE HERBICIDES

A rapid, non-isotopic polarization fluoroimmunoassay (PFIA) for the monitoring of the simazine (striazine herbicide) level in water was developed, Polyclonal antiserum was raised in rabbits by immunization with simazine - Keyhole Limpet Haemocyanin conjugate. Sensitivity of the PFIA with the use of heterologous tracer with the shortest bridge between antigen and fluorescein proved to be the highest. All analytical criteria for PFIA were satisfied. The detection limit of simazine (3 ng/ml in 50 mu l of sample) was comparable to that for liquid or gas chromatography method. The detection limit of ELISA using the same antiserum and conjugate derivative of atrazine with horseradish peroxidase was 0.1 ng/mL of simazine. The cross-reactivity for PFIA with widely used s-triazine herbicides: atrazine, propazine, terbuthylazine was 100%, 32% and 20%, respectively. The cross-reactivity for PFIA with some metabolites of s-triazines and other herbicides was negligible.