Development of a magnetic particle-based enzyme immunoassay for the determination of penoxsulam in water

A competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) for the quantitation of Penoxsulam [2-(2,2-difluoroethoxy)-6-(trifluoromethyl-N-(5,8-dimethoxy[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidin-2-yl))benzenesulfonamide] in ground and surface waters was developed. This immunoassay utilizes magnetic particles as the solid phase to which polyclonal rabbit anti-Penoxsulam antibodies are attached. The ELISA has an estimated detection limit of 0.17 ppb (microg/mL) of Penoxsulam in water. Specificity studies indicate that the antibody can distinguish Penoxsulam from its major metabolites and structurally similar pesticides. Interference studies indicate that the ELISA has a wide tolerance of sample pH and salinity and for compounds commonly found in surface and ground waters. The ELISA was shown to compare favorably to LC-MS/MS on ground and surface water samples (r(2) = 0.957). The various studies performed demonstrate the usefulness of the ELISA technique as a rapid and high-throughput analytical method for the cost-effective monitoring of water samples.     

A reliable and sensitive immunoassay for the determination of crustacean protein in processed foods

Among food allergens, crustacea such as shrimps, crabs, and lobsters are a frequent cause of adverse food reactions in allergic patients. The major allergen has been identified as a muscular protein, tropomyosin. A novel sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection and quantification of crustacean protein in processed foods was developed using the sample dilution buffer that is added to porcine tropomyosin. The sandwich ELISA method was highly specific for the Decapoda group, apart from minor cross-reactivities to other crustacea and mollusks. The recovery ranged from 85 to 141%, while the intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were less than 2.8 and 8.4%, respectively.     

Fluorescent enzyme immunoassay for rapid screening of Salmonella in foods: collaborative study

A collaborative study was performed in 13 laboratories to validate an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) procedure for rapid detection of Salmonella in foods. The EIA was compared with the standard culture procedure for detection of Salmonella in 6 food types: ground black pepper, soy flour, dried whole eggs, milk chocolate, nonfat dry milk, and raw deboned turkey. Uninoculated and inoculated samples were included in each food group analyzed. There was no significant difference in the proportion of samples positive by the EIA and culture procedures at the 5% level for any of the 6 foods. The enzyme immunoassay screening method has been adopted official first action as a rapid screening method for detection of Salmonella.     

Development of a solid-phase extraction coupling chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay for determination of organophosphorus pesticides in environmental water samples

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) and direct competitive chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay (dcCL-EIA) were combined for the detection of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) in environmental water samples. dcCL-EIA based on horseradish peroxidase labeled with a broad-specificity monoclonal antibody against OPs was developed, and the effects of several physicochemical parameters on dcCL-EIA performance were studied. SPE was used for the pretreatment of water samples to remove interfering substances and to concentrate the OP analytes. The coupling of SPE and dcCL-EIA can detect seven OPs (parathion, coumaphos, phoxim, quinalphos, triazophos, dichlofenthion, and azinphos-ethyl) with the limit of quantitation below 0.1 ng/mL. The recoveries of OPs from spiked water samples ranged from 62.5% to 131.7% by SPE-dcCL-EIA and 69.5% to 112.3% by SPE-HPLC-MS/MS. The screening of OP residues in real-world environmental water samples by the developed SPE-dcCL-EIA and their confirmatory analysis using SPE-HPLC-MS/MS demonstrated that the assay is ideally suited as a monitoring method for OP residues prior to chromatographic analysis.     

Enzyme immunoassay for determination of gluten in foods: collaborative study

A collaborative study was performed in 15 laboratories to validate a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for determination of gluten in foods. The study included 13 samples: maize starch, "gluten-free" baking mixes, wheat flours, cookies, cooked meats, and a soup. Gluten was present in these samples at either zero or 0.02 to 10% by weight, i.e., over almost 3 orders of magnitude. The mean assay values for the foods varied from 88 to 105% of the actual amounts. The assay was quantitative for cereal products and the soup with repeatability (RDS-r, relative standard deviation) and reproducibility (RSD-R) of 16-22% and 24-33%, respectively. The assay was semiquantitative for the processed meat products (RSD-r 14 and 26% and RSD-R 46 and 56%), probably because gluten was unevenly distributed in the small (1 g) samples that were analyzed. The ELISA method produced no false positive results, and false negatives obtained with tannin-containing foods could be avoided by use of a modified sample extractant. None of the collaborators reported problems in following the protocol. The method has been adopted official first action by AOAC for determination of wheat gluten in foods.     

Validation of a monoclonal enzyme immunoassay for the determination of carbofuran in fruits and vegetables

The N-methylcarbamate pesticide carbofuran is a very important insecticide used worldwide. In the present work, the validation of a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) to determine this compound in fruits and vegetables is described. The immunoassay is a competitive heterologous ELISA in the antibody-coated format, with an I(50) value for standards in buffer of 740 ng/L and with a dynamic range between 200 and 3100 ng/L. For recovery studies, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, oranges, and apples were spiked with carbofuran at 10, 50, and 200 ppb. After liquid extraction, analyses were performed by ELISA on extracts purified on solid-phase extraction (SPE) columns and crude, nonpurified extracts. Depending on the crop, mean recoveries in the 43.9--90.7% range were obtained for purified samples and in the 90.1--121.6% range for crude extracts. The carbofuran immunoassay performance was further validated with respect to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with postcolumn derivatization and fluorescence detection (EPA Method 531.1). Samples were spiked with carbofuran at several concentrations and analyzed as blind samples by ELISA and HPLC after SPE cleanup. The correlation between methods was very good (y = 0.90x + 2.66, r(2)() = 0.958, n = 25), with HPLC being more precise than ELISA (mean coefficients of variation of 4.1 and 11.5%, respectively). The immunoassay was then applied to the analysis of nonpurified extracts of the same samples. Results also compared very well with those obtained by HPLC on purified samples (y = 1.02x + 10.44, r(2)() = 0.933, n = 29). Therefore, the developed immunoassay is a suitable method for the quantitative and reliable determination of carbofuran in fruits and vegetables even without sample cleanup, which saves time and money and considerably increases the sample throughput.     

A dynamic model for radionuclide transfer from water to freshwater fish

A dynamic model for radionuclide transfer from water to fish is presented, from its design stages to its in situ validation. Four steps are proposed in order to apply the model, for predictive purposes, to ¹³⁷ Cs and ¹⁰⁶ Ru in case of the Rhone (S.E. France), downstream of the Marcoule fuel reprocessing plant. The first step consists of an experimental laboratory study conducted on a species which is representative of the second order trophic level (Cyprinus carpio L.). Compartmental analysis then allows construction of the conceptual model of the organism. The number of compartments necessary to represent the organism and the kinetic parameters quantifying the transfer studied are estimated using a standardized procedure for the statistical processing of results. A numerical method which allows consideration of all the fluctuations recorded in the radionuclide concentration in the water during the exposure phase is shown. Direct ¹³⁷Cs transfer is modeled on the basis of a single compartment, characterized by the exchange kinetics constants A₂=0.224 d^-1 and λ₂=0.0065 d^-1. For¹⁰⁶ Ru, two compartments are necessary in order to model the exchange kinetics. They are characterized by the constants A₁=1.319 d^-1 and λ₁=0.638 d^-1, A₂=0.198 d^-1 and λ₂=0.0261 d^-1. For a theoretical fish having zero growth, and for constant concentration in water, these transfer kinetics lead to concentration factor values of 34 L Kg w.w.^-1 for ¹³⁷Cs and 10 L Kg w.w.^-1 for ¹⁰⁶Ru. The corresponding long biological half- lives are 106 days and 27 days. A different transfer model expression is necessary based on the radionuclide tissue distribution differences within the organism. The major distribution of the ¹³⁷Cs in muscle which is a growth target tissue, implies building the conceptual transfer model on the assumption of the proportionality between the mass of water intervening in the transfer and the mass of the organism. For the ¹⁰⁶Ru preferentially accumulating in a low growth organ (digestive tract), the basic assumption is that of the intervention of a constant mass of water in the transfer. The entire model, i.e. the basic assumption on the influence of the growth of the organism, the number of compartments, the kinetic parameters, was validated by adapted in situ experimentation. The validation tested with a monthly time step was satisfactory for the two radionuclides.     

Production of antibodies and development of enzyme immunoassay for determination of monensin in biological samples

Monensin is converted to monensin bromoacetate, which provides successful coupling to protein and allows production of monensin-specific rabbit antisera. A modified indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed, which is highly sensitive (2 ng/mL) to monensin determination. Monensin recovery was 53-81% at 10 ppb in sera or urine, and 81-130% at 100 ppb in dichloromethane-extracted feces or water. Overall recovery was 98.8% with coefficients of variation from 6 to 52% over the range of monensin concentrations studied. This is the first immunoassay reported for the carboxylic ionophore antibiotics.     

Development of an immunoassay for the pyrethroid insecticide esfenvalerate.

A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed for the detection of the pyrethroid insecticide esfenvalerate. Two haptens containing amine or propanoic acid groups on the terminal aromatic ring of the fenvalerate molecule were synthesized and coupled to carrier proteins as immunogens. Five antisera were produced and screened against eight different coating antigens. The assay that had the least interference and was the most sensitive for esfenvalerate was optimized and characterized. The I(50) for esfenvalerate was 30 +/- 6.2 microg/L, and the lower detection limit (LDL) was 3.0 +/- 1.8 microg/L. The assay was very selective. Other pyrethroid analogues and esfenvalerate metabolites tested did not cross-react significantly in this assay. To increase the sensitivity of the overall method, a C(18) sorbent-based solid-phase extraction (SPE) was used for water matrix. With this SPE step, the LDL of the overall method for esfenvalerate was 0.1 microg/L in water samples.     

Liquid chromatographic method for determination of water in soils

Abstract

A simple, rapid, and sensitive liquid Chromatographic (LC) method for the determination of water in soils was developed. In this method, water is extracted from soil with anhydrous methanol and injected into an LC system including a cation‐exchange column in the H form. The eluent is 1.0 mM transcinnamaldehyde in acetonitrile‐methanol (40:60). The detection scheme is based on the effect of water on the equilibrium established when trans‐cinnamaldehyde and methanol react in the H⁺ column to form cinnamaldehyde dimethylacetal and water. The equilibrium of the reaction is shifted towards the trans‐cinnamaldehyde (absorbs strongly at the detection wavelength, 300 nm) when water is introduced into the column. The extent of the shift and the resulting change in absorbance at 300 nm are proportional to the amount of water present.

Application of the method to a wide range of soils and of clay minerals containing from 0.7 to 25% water showed that the results of the LC method agreed closely with those of the gravimetric method. The LC method is accurate, precise, relatively free from interference, requires a small sample size, and gives a linear calibration graph over approximately three orders of magnitude of water concentrations. A single operator can perform approximately 80 analyses in a normal working day.     

A specific method for the determination of provitamin A carotenoids in orange juice.

A method has been developed for rapidly determining the amounts of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and cryptoxanthin in orange juice. The procedure includes extraction, saponification, and high-speed liquid chromatography. Limits of detection for the 3 carotenoids are 0.04, 0.02, and 0.04 mug/ml, respectively.     

一种测定土壤水分迁移率的方法研究

A new laboratory method was proposed to establish an easily performed standard for the determination of mobile soil water close to real conditions during the infiltration and redistribution of water in a soil. It consisted of applying a water volume with a tracer ion on top of an undisturbed ring sample on a pressure plate under a known suction or pressure head. Afterwards, soil water mobility was determined by analyzing the tracer-ion concentration in the soil sample. Soil water mobility showed to be a function of the applied water volume. No relation between soil water mobility and applied pressure head could be established with data from the present cxperiment. A simple one- or two-parameter equation can be fitted to the experimental data to parameterize soil water mobility as a function of applied solute volume. Sandy soils showed higher mobility than loamy＂ soils at low values of applied solute volumes, and both sandy and loamy soils showed an almost complete mobility at high applied solute volumes.     

Measurement of triclosan in water using a magnetic particle enzyme immunoassay

A sensitive magnetic particle-based immunoassay to determine triclosan [5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol] in drinking water and wastewater was developed. Rabbit antiserum was produced by immunizing the rabbit with 6-[5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenoxy]hexanoic acid-keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Horseradish peroxidase was conjugated with 4-[3-bromo-4-(2,4-dibromophenoxy)phenoxy]butyric acid via N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC). The triclosan antibody was coupled to magnetic particles via the NHS/EDC reaction. The antibodies were able to recognize some structurally related polybrominated biphenyl ethers but did not recognize various common pollutants that were less similar to the hapten. The ELISA could detect triclosan in standard solution (25% methanol/H2O v/v) at 20 ppt and its metabolite, methyl-triclosan, at 15 ppt. Water samples from different treatment stages were prepared to contain 25% methanol and analyzed directly without any sample extraction or preconcentration. The results showed that recoveries were >80% and the % CV was <10%, demonstrating the assay was both accurate and precise. Application of the triclosan ELISA to water treatment plants showed that tap water at various purification stages had low concentrations of triclosan (<20 ppt) and required an increased sample size for appropriate detection and measurement. Application of ELISA to the wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) demonstrated high concentrations of triclosan (in general, >3000 ppt in water entering the WWTP) with the levels decreasing as the water proceeded through the processing plant (<500 ppt at outflow sewage). The ELISA measurement was shown to be equivalent to the more specific GC-MS analysis on a number of wastewater treatment samples with a high degree of correlation, with the exception of a few samples with very high triclosan concentrations (>5000 ppt). Measurement of methyl-triclosan (in WWTP) using GC-MS demonstrated the levels of this compound to be low. In summary, a rapid, sensitive, accurate, and precise magnetic particle-based immunoassay has been developed for triclosan analysis, which can serve as a cost-effective monitoring tool for various water samples.     

A capillary electrophoresis laser-induced fluorescence method for analysis of potato glycoalkaloids based on a solution-phase immunoassay. 1. Separation and quantification of immunoassay products

Solution-phase immunoassays are typically faster and more precise than ELISAs. This research developed a solution-phase for the immunoassay of potato glycoalkaloids (GAs) based on quantification by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection. Solanidine coupled to 4'-(aminomethyl)fluorescein and a polyclonal antibody solution were used as the immunoreagents. Unbound fluorescent solanidine was detected by CE-LIF (excitation 488 nm, emission 520 nm). Optimum resolution of immunoassay products was achieved with a buffer consisting of 50 mM phosphate, 10% (v/v) methanol, and 1.5 mM SDS, pH 7.5. A plot of signal vs log [GA] produced a sigmoidal curve typical of immunoassays. Analysis of extracts of sprouted Yukon Gold potato tubers and nonsprouted Yukon Gold tubers resulted in total [GA] of 98 microg/g (RSD 9%) and 55 microg/g (RSD 9%), respectively. The findings indicated that CE-LIF coupled with a solution-phase immunoassay can be used to quantify total GA in potatoes.     

A comparison of the thermocouple psychrometer and the pressure plate methods for determination of soil water characteristic curves

The thermocouple psychrometer method and the pressure plate apparatus method werecompared for determining the energy status of soil water, and it has been shown that the resulting soil water characteristic curves might differ significantly. Ψ_t determined by the psychrometer method was always higher than Ψ_m, determined with the pressure plate method. Thus, the soil water characteristic curve determined with the pressure plate method may not represent the true condition of soil water, and the actual matric potential may be considerably higher than that assumed from the applied chamber pressure. This suggests the need for careful examination of the pressure plate method for determining the soil water characteristic curve.     

Thorium 230 determination in polluted lake water — A study of interferences

The effect of contaminants, both known and unidentified, in interfering with the coprecipitation of ²³⁴Th tracer with BaSO₄ is described. The effect is illustrated by results obtained on water from Nero Lake, a uranium mine tailings dumping area. While most of the components of the water are known, attempts to duplicate the effect using synthetic water were less successful. Thus some strongly interfering substance in the water remains to be identified. A successful alternative method for Ra and Th determination is mentioned.     

振动激励下枣树力传递效果室内模拟试验

为了提高林果振动采收的作业效率,根据果品在振动过程中瞬时加速度的变化,研究其振动采收时力的传递效果,降低激振功耗.该文以红枣振动采收为研究对象,建立红枣"枝-柄-果"的双摆振动模型,分析系统振动过程中的固有频率,获得系统的固有振动频率为14.69、17.26Hz;利用振动试验测试系统,进行扫频试验,测得枣树发生共振频率的范围集中出现在12~24Hz;当振幅分别为3、5、7mm时,频率在12~24Hz时进行枣树的定频振动试验,通过DHDAS分析软件分析,获得枣树的振动频率和瞬时加速度的关系;对受迫振动的红枣采用3D高速摄像技术进行运动分析,获得红枣在空间的最大瞬时加速度值,通过统计计算分析,红枣的最大瞬时惯性力值均大于果柄最大拉断力6N.试验表明在振幅为7mm、频率为17Hz时,红枣振动采收过程中,力的传递效果较好.该研究可为红枣收获机激振系统的设计提供理论依据和技术参考.     

A quantitative method for determination of aflatoxin B in roasted corn.

Roasting aflatoxin-contaminated corn will reduce toxin levels. A quantitative analysis for aflatoxin in roasted corn has been developed by modifying a cleanup technique for green coffee extracts approved as official first action by the AOAC. A chloroform extract is partially purified on a Florisil column, and thin layer chromatographic (TLC) plates are developed with methylene chloride-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol-formic acid (81+15+3+1). Recoveries average 101% and the sensitivity limit is 5 ppb aflatoxin B1. A 2-dimensional TLC procedure can also be used to separate the aflatoxins from background interferences.     

Collaborative study of a method for the determination of ochratoxin A in green coffee.

A method for the semiquantitative determination of ochratoxin A in green coffee has been studied collaboratively by 11 laboratories. The average recovery for the 7 samples spiked at 3 levels of ochratoxin A was 69.1%, ranging from 60.5 to 85.6%. This is comparable to other visual thin layer chromatographic methods of mycotoxin detection. The method has been adopted as official first action for the determination of ochratoxin A in green coffee beans.     

A review of bromine determination in foods.

Organic compounds containing bromine, including methyl bromide, ethylene dibromide, and 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, have been used extensively for the fumigation of foods, or soils in which foods grow, making it necessary to determine residues of bromine and bromine-containing organic compounds. A large number of methods for the determination of bromine in foods, as organic, inorganic, and combined total bromide, have been developed. In methods for organic bromide, the bromine is converted to the inorganic form for measurement by titration, photometry, or other means. In recent years, instrumental methods have been developed in which the total bromine in the sample is determined, regardless of the state in which it exists. X-ray fluorescence and neutron activation analysis are the 2 instrumental methods used most widely. Residue data are presented for some typical bromine-containing samples.