Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of benomyl and thiabendazole in some foods

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were developed for benomyl as its decomposition product, methyl 2-benzimidazole carbamate, and thiabendazole in foods. Immunogens consisting of human serum albumin coupled to 2-succinamidobenzimidazole or 2-(2'-succinamido-4'-thiazolyl)benzimidazole were used in rabbits to raise antisera that were specific for the respective fungicides. Lower limits of quantitation of 0.35 ppm for benomyl and 0.03 ppm for thiabendazole were established without cleanup of the ethyl acetate extract. Recoveries of benomyl from 3 crops spiked at 0.5 to 10 ppm averaged 89% (range 73-109%) and of thiabendazole from 5 crops spiked at 0.1 to 2.0 ppm were 93% (range 81-105%).