RAPID ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL HAZARDS

MONITORING ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES FOR VARIOUS PESTICIDES AND OTHER HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS HAS BECOME NECESSARY INORDER TO PROTECT THE POPULACE FROM THE CARCINOGENIC AND TOXIC EFFECTSOF THESE MATERIALS. THERE IS CONSIDERABLE CONCERN REGARDINGTHE POSSIBILITY OF THE MATERIALS BECOMING INCORPORATED IN FOODS AND IN WATER SUPPLIES DESTINED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. SINCE THE COSTS OF DOING ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSES ARE VERY HIGH AND MANY CONTAMINATED SITES EXISTS, IT BECOME IMPERA- TIVE TO DEVELOP NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR THIS NEED. A VARIETY OF METHODS ARE AVAILABLE FOR DETERMINING POSSIBLE TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION IN FOOD, WATER, AND BIOLOGICAL FLUIDS. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE ASSAYS (SUCH AS GAS CHROMATOG RAPHY(GC) OR HIGH PRESSURE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY (HPLC) RE- QUIRE TRAINED PERSONNEL, EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT A LABORATORY SETTING, AND ARE QUITE SLOW IN DETERMINING IF CONTAMINATION IS PRESENT. THE INVESTIGATORS PROPOSE TO DEVELOP AN ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY (EIA) WHICH WILL BE USEFUL AS A SCREEN FOR THE DETECTION OF LOW CONCENTRATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS IN FOOD ANDWATER SUPPLIES. THE ASSAY IS SIMPLE, FAST (LESS THAN TEN MINUTES), NON-INSTRUMENTED, AND THUS EASILY PORTABLE FOR FIELD USE. THE PROPOSED ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY SHOULD HAVE A PERFORMANCE COMPARABLE TO OTHER ASSAY METHODS (E.G., GC, HPLC) FOR ENVI-RONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS, BUT BE FAST, PORTABLE, AND SIMPLE TOUSE. THE ASSAY FORMAT IS ADAPTABLE FOR THE ULTRASENSITIVE DETECTION OF BIOLOGICAL AGENT MATERIALS, TOXINS, DRUGS, AND OTHER BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE MATERIALS IN THE ENVIRONMENT OR PHYSIOLOGICAL FLUIDS.