Development of a highly sensitive enzyme-immunoassay for the determination of triazine herbicides

A monoclonal antibody (Mab) with extraordinary sensitivity and high class selectivity to triazine herbicides is described. With an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using Mab 4A54 IC₅₀ values for terbuthylazine, atrazine, propazine and simazine below 0.1 μg/L (the EU maximum admissible concentration for individual pesticides) have been obtained. Detection limits of 0.004 μg/L for terbuthylazine, 0.006 μg/L for atrazine, 0.003 μg/L for propazine, 0.01 μg/L for simazine and 0.05 μg/L for deethylterbuthylazine could be achieved. Therefore, Mab 4A54 allows a sum screening of these five triazines in a relevant concentration range. To our knowledge, this is the most sensitive antibody to terbuthylazine at all and also the most sensitive Mab to all these four triazines. Another monoclonal antibody resulting from the same immunization, clone 4A118, exhibits best sensitivity for propazine (detection limit: 0.02 μg/L) at lower cross-reactivity to terbuthylazine and atrazine compared to clone 4A54. Affinity constants of both Mabs towards several triazines have been calculated. The application of both Mabs for the analysis of triazines in water samples of different origin has been tested and their resistance towards humic acid influence could be shown. A good correlation of the analysis of water samples with GC and ELISA was observed. Received: 17 February 1997 / Revised: 1 April 1997 / Accepted: 3 April 1997     

Determination of chloro-s-triazines including didealkylatrazine using solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Chloro-s-triazines are a class of compounds comprising atrazine, simazine, propazine, cyanazine and their chlorinated metabolites. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that selected chloro-s-triazines--atrazine, simazine, propazine, deethylatrazine, deisopropylatrazine, and didealkylatrazine--have a common mode of toxicity related to endocrine disruption. In this paper, a dual-resin solid-phase extraction (SPE) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method is reported that provides for each of these chloro-s-triazines including the polar metabolite, didealkylatrazine. The method utilizes deuterated internal standards for quantitation and terbuthylazine as a recovery standard. The limit-of-detection was 0.01 microg/L for simazine, deethylatrazine, deisopropylatrazine and didealkylatrazine, and 0.02 microg/L for atrazine and propazine in surface water. Mean recoveries for 0.5 and 3.0 microg/L spikes for atrazine, simazine, propazine, deethylatrazine, deisopropylatrazine and didealkylatrazine were 94, 104, 103, 110, 108 and 102%, respectively, in surface water. The method was also validated by matrix spikes into fourteen different raw and treated natural surface waters. This method is useful for monitoring "total chloro-s-triazines" in both raw and treated drinking waters.     

Monitoring of priority pesticides and other organic pollutants in river water from portugal by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (LC-APCI-MS) were optimized and applied for the trace-level determination of 42 priority pesticides and 33 priority organic pollutants from European Union Directive EC 76/464. First, off-line solid-phase extraction of 200 ml of river water using an OASIS solid-phase extraction cartridge, followed by GC-MS was used. Next, selected samples that were positive to GC-MS were analyzed by LC-APCI-MS in order to detect further polar byproducts or to improve the determination of previously detected polar analytes. The transformation products of triazine pesticides like deethylatrazine (DEA) and deisopropylatrazine (DIA) and compounds such as diuron and several chlorophenols were positively identified by LC-APCI-MS. The present methodology has also been used for searching for new analytes not included in the EC 76/464 list, like Irgarol, DEA and DIA. In addition it was applied to target pollutants in 43 river water samples from Portugal during a pilot survey from April to July 1999. Atrazine followed by simazine and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol were the most ubiquitous compounds detected in this area. The levels detected of the different compounds were in the range of: 0.01-2.73 microg/l, 0.05-0.74 microg/l, 0.02-1.65 microg/l, 0.02-5.43 microg/l, 0.01-0.40 microg/l, 0.01-0.26 microg/l, 0.02-0.61 microg/l, 0.01-3.90 microg/l, 0.01-1.24 microg/l, 0.02-2.3 microg/l, 0.01-0.13 microg/l and 0.01-0.5 microg/l for atrazine, simazine, terbuthylazine, alachlor, metolachlor, Irgarol, propanil; tributhylphosphate, diuron, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, deisopropylatrazine and deethylatrazine, respectively.     

Development of a highly sensitive enzyme-immunoassay for the determination of triazine herbicides

A monoclonal antibody (Mab) with extraordinary sensitivity and high class selectivity to triazine herbicides is described. With an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using Mab 4A54 IC₅₀ values for terbuthylazine, atrazine, propazine and simazine below 0.1 μg/L (the EU maximum admissible concentration for individual pesticides) have been obtained. Detection limits of 0.004 μg/L for terbuthylazine, 0.006 μg/L for atrazine, 0.003 μg/L for propazine, 0.01 μg/L for simazine and 0.05 μg/L for deethylterbuthylazine could be achieved. Therefore, Mab 4A54 allows a sum screening of these five triazines in a relevant concentration range. To our knowledge, this is the most sensitive antibody to terbuthylazine at all and also the most sensitive Mab to all these four triazines. Another monoclonal antibody resulting from the same immunization, clone 4A118, exhibits best sensitivity for propazine (detection limit: 0.02 μg/L) at lower cross-reactivity to terbuthylazine and atrazine compared to clone 4A54. Affinity constants of both Mabs towards several triazines have been calculated. The application of both Mabs for the analysis of triazines in water samples of different origin has been tested and their resistance towards humic acid influence could be shown. A good correlation of the analysis of water samples with GC and ELISA was observed.     

Determination of atrazine, deethylatrazine and simazine in water at parts-per-trillion levels using solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry

Methods for trace analysis of atrazine and simazine in water have been developed by using stable-isotope dilution with detection by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. D(5)-Atrazine was used as the internal standard for the determination of atrazine and deethylatrazine, while (13)C(3)-simazine was used for simazine analysis. Water samples were fortified with known amounts of the internal standards and submitted to solid-phase extraction with a C(18) bonded-silica cartridge. A gas chromatograph coupled with an ion-trap mass spectrometer was used to analyze the water sample extracts. Method detection limits were 38 parts-per-trillion (ppt) for atrazine and deethylatrazine and 75 ppt for simazine. The accuracy of the method, represented by relative analytical errors, was less than 15%, and the method precision was less than 5% (relative standard deviation, n = 9). The method was successfully applied to analyze surface water samples collected from a reservoir and a river at ppt levels.     

Fast determination of herbicides in waters by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid multiresidue method for the analysis of more than 40 herbicides (such as simazine, terbuthylazine and diuron) in waters has been developed and validated by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS). Prior to chromatographic determination, the samples were extracted using a solid-phase extraction procedure. The analysis was performed on an Acquity UPLC BEH C(18) column using a gradient elution profile and a mobile phase consisting of methanol and an aqueous solution of formic acid (0.01%). Other chromatographic and MS/MS parameters were optimised in order to improve selectivity and sensitivity of the analytes. The analytes were detected using electrospray ionisation (ESI)-MS/MS in positive ion mode with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM), optimising parameters such as voltage cone, capillary voltage, source and desolvation temperature, and desolvation and cone gas flow. The optimised method provides a rapid separation (less than 10 min) of the selected herbicides in the assayed matrices, and it was validated by the analysis of spiked blank matrix samples. Good linearity was obtained and the repeatability of the method was less than 20% for the lowest calibration point. The limits of detection ranged from 0.002 to 0.02 microg/L, and the limits of quantification from 0.005 to 0.05 microg/L, which were below the values specified by the European Union. Finally, the method was successfully applied to real environmental samples from Andalusia (southern Spain). Terbuthylazine, simazine, atrazine desisopropyl and desethyl terbuthylazine were the herbicides most frequently found in water samples.     

Solid-phase extraction using C(18) bonded silica disks: interferences and analysis of chlorotriazines in seawater samples

The interferences in C(18) Empore extraction disks were obtained by processing 5 1. of HPLC water with average blanks of 1 ng/l. A C(19) alkane, plasticizers and the antioxidant Nonox A were identified in the blanks as possible interferences. The extraction of the components of the disks was carried out with methanol, acetonitrile and/or ethyl acetate with subsequent analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). The identification of interferences was a requirement for the determination of the chlorotriazine herbicides atrazine and simazine, and of a transformation product, de-ethylatrazine, at concentration levels varying between 2 and 140 ng/l. Seawater samples of 3-28 parts-per-thousand were pre-filtered through a 47-mm diameter of 0.7 mum and subsequently with 0.45 mum glass-fibre filters to trap particulate matter, followed by Empore extraction disks of 500 mg C(18) bonded silica. Water volumes of 5 1. could be processed within 150 min. The disks were extracted with methanol, the extract was blown down under nitrogen, and the analytes were quantified by GC with nitrogen-phosphorus detection (NPD) with further confirmation using GCMS in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The proposed method has been applied to the determination of the environmental levels of atrazine and simazine in seawater samples of varying salinity. The recovery of de-ethylatrazine was 10%, so the method was not appropriate for this compound. The concentration of the herbicides has been plotted against the salinity values, showing a decrease in the levels as the salinity increases, with two inflexion points that indicate a non-conservative mixing with loss of the herbicides in the mixing zone of the estuary.     

Book Reviews

A gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry method was used for the trace analysis of atrazine and its deethylated degradation product deethylatrazine in environmental water and sediment samples. The isotope dilution technique was applied for the quantitative analysis of atrazine at parts-per-trillion levels. Water samples were pre-concentrated by solid-phase extraction using a C18 cartridge while the sediment samples were extracted by sonication with methanol. The concentrated extracts were analysed by a GC/ion trap MS operated in the MS/MS method. The extraction recoveries for the analytes were better than 83% when 1 L of water or 10 g of sediment was analysed. The method detection limits were 0.75 ng/L and 0.13 ng/g for atrazine and deethylatrazine detected in water and sediment, respectively. The precisions of the method represented by the relative standard deviation were in the range of 3.2-16.1%. The method was successfully applied to analyse surface water and sediment samples collected from Beijing Guanting reservoir. Trace levels of atrazine at 35.9-217.3 ng/L and 2.4-8.4 ng/g were detected in the water and sediment samples, respectively. The levels of deethylatrazine were five to 20 times lower that those of atrazine.     

Mathematical model for the analytical signal of an herbicide sensor based on the reaction centre of Rhodobacter sphaeroides

This paper introduces a mathematical model which makes it possible both to determine the concentration of photosynthetic herbicides and to obtain a quantitative parameter in order to compare their activity using a previously described sensing system. The working principle involves the changes in absorption properties at 860 nm of the reaction centre (RC) isolated from the bacteria Rhodobacter sphaeroides when photosynthetic herbicides are present. The method has been used for the determination and activity comparison of five photosynthetic herbicides: diuron, atrazine, terbutryn, terbuthylazine and simazine. Detection limits obtained were 2.2, 0.75, 0.046, 0.25, and 1.4 μM, respectively. The resulting order for the different herbicides according to their action on RC was: terbutryn > terbuthylazine > atrazine > simazine > diuron.     

Determination of triazine-herbicides in drinking water by a HPLC column switching technique

Summary A semi-automatic coupled-column HPLC-method for the rapid determination of desethylatrazine, simazine, atrazine and terbuthylazine in drinking water was developed. Tenax TA was used as precolumn packing material. 100 ml of the water sample are percolated through the precolumn, on which the analytes are preconcentrated and prefractionated. After the HPLC-integrated sample processing the triazines are transferred to the series-connected analytical column, where separation and detection takes place. The method leads to detection limits between 15 and 32 ng/l. The recovery rates range from 46 to 96% in drinking water.Dedicated to Professor Dr. Wilhelm Fresenius on the occasion of his 80th birthday     

Increased sensitivity of an enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) for the determination of triazine herbicides by variation of tracer incubation time

Immunoassays for triazine herbicides were tested for their reaction to the variation of the tracer incubation time. By application of a sequential technique the measuring range of atrazine could be expanded to five decades and the total duration of the test could be reduced to about 30 min. In an optimized version a lower detection limit of 9 pmol/l (2 ng/l) was achieved. The detection limit of a sensitive immunoassay for terbuthylazine is also below the concentration limit demanded of the German drinking water regulation (100 ng/l) and reaches 130 pmol/l (30 ng/l). Short tracer incubation times did not lead to increased cross-reactivities in contrast to theoretical models [1, 2]. Different mechanisms, which could cause a shift of the center point of the calibration curve, are discussed, including kinetic considerations.Nomenclature ametryn 2-(ethylamino)-4-(isopropylamino)-6-(methylthio)-1,3,5-triazine - atrazine 2-(chloro)-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-1,3,5-triazine - deethylatrazine 2-(amino)-4-(chloro)-6-(isopropylamino)-1,3,5-triazine - DMSO dimethylsulfoxide - DOC dissolved organic carbon - ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay - glyme 1,2-dimethoxyethane - hydroxyatrazine 2-(ethylamino)-4-(hydroxy)-6-(isopropylamino)-1,3,5-triazine - PBS phosphate buffered saline - propazine 2-(chloro)-4,6-bis(isopropylamino)-1,3,5-triazine - simazine 2-(chloro)-4,6-bis(ethylamino)-1,3,5-triazine - terbuthylazine 2-(tert-butylamino)-4-(chloro)-6-(ethylamino)-1,3,5-triazine - TLC thin-layer chromatography - TMB 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine - tracer enzyme (peroxidase) labeled hapten     

Determination of atrazine and simazine in environmental water samples using multiwalled carbon nanotubes as the adsorbents for preconcentration prior to high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes, a new nanoscale material, has been gained many interests for use in various fields, and has exhibited exceptional merit as SPE absorbents for enrichment of environmental pollutants. This paper focused on the enriching power of atrazine and simazine, two important widely used triazine herbicides and described a novel and sensitive method for determination of these two herbicides based on SPE using multiwalled carbon nanotubes as solid phase absorbents followed by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector. Factors that maybe affect the enrichment efficiency of multiwalled carbon nanotubes such as the volume of eluent, sample flow rate, sample pH, and volume of the water samples were optimized. Under the optimal procedures, multiwalled carbon nanotubes as the absorbents have obtained excellent enrichment efficiency for atrazine and simazine. The detection limits of the atrazine and simazine were 33 and 9 ng l⁻¹, respectively. The spiked recoveries of the two analytes were over the range of 82.6-103.7% in most cases. Good analytical performance was achieved from real-world water samples such as river water, reservoir water, tap water and wastewater after primary pretreatment with proposed method. All these experimental results indicated that the developed method could be used as an alternative for the routine analysis of atrazine and simazine in many real water samples.     

Trace-level determination of triazines and several degradation products in environmental waters by disk solid-phase extraction and micellar electrokinetic chromatography

An analytical method combining disk solid-phase extraction with micellar electrokinetic chromatography has been developed for the determination of atrazine, simazine, hydroxyatrazine, deisopropylatrazine, deethylatrazine, propazine and prometryn in water samples. The influence of the buffer and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) concentration, pH and organic modifier on the separation has been studied. Baseline separation of the seven triazines was achieved under the following conditions: 10 mM borate buffer, 60 mM SDS, 20% methanol and pH 9.2. C18-bonded silica and poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) (PS-DVB) disks were evaluated for solid-phase extraction of the selected pesticides (11 of water sample). Using two PS-DVB disks, quantitative recoveries were obtained for all pesticides tested. The method was successfully applied for the determination of the seven triazines in drinking and well water at the 0.1 microg l(-1) and 0.5 microg l(-1) concentration levels, respectively. The detection limits for these analytes using the proposed analytical method were within the 0.02-0.06 microg l(-1) range in drinking water and the 0.06-0.30 microg l(-1) range in well water.     

Preconcentration of atrazine and simazine with multiwalled carbon nanotubes as solid-phase extraction disk

A sensitive and selective preconcentration method using solid-phase extraction (SPE) disk, namely multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) disk, is proposed for the determination of atrazine and simazine in water samples. Atrazine and simazine were extracted on MWCNTs disk and then determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Several parameters on the enrichment factor of the analytes were investigated. The experimental results showed that it was possible to obtain quantitative analysis when the solution pH was 5 using 200 mL of validation solution containing 0.1 μg of triazines and 5 mL of acetone as an eluent. The maximum enrichment factors for atrazine and simazine were 3900 ± 250 and 4000 ± 110, respectively when 200 mL of sample solution volume was used. Relative standard deviations for seven determinations were 6.9% (atrazine) and 3.0% (simazine) under optimum conditions. The linear range of calibration curves were 0.1 to 1 ng mL^{− 1} for each analyte with good correlation coefficients. The detection limits (3S/N) were 2.5 and 5.0 pg mL^{− 1} for atrazine and simazine, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of atrazine and simazine in environmental water samples with high precision and accuracy.     

Development and Comparative Study of Different Immunoenzyme Techniques for Pesticides Detection

Abstract

Different ELISA techniques have been developed for the detemination of four widely used pesticides: 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), simazine and atrazine. Dependences between the assay scheme and the limiting detectable concentration of the pesticide were studied. The cases of preferential applying of the scheme with immobilized antibodies or one with immobilized pesticide-protein conjugate have been revealed. The following approaches resulting in lowering of ELISA sensitivity were proposed: preliminary incubation of the tested sample with antibodies, immobilization of antibodies via staphylococcal protein A, usage of monovalent fragments of antibodies instead of native ones and chemical modification of the pesticide molecules in the sample. Optimal combinations of these approaches permitted to lower the detection limit of the assays in about 5–30 times. The achieved sensitivities were 3 ng/mL for 2,4-D, 5 ng/mL for 2,4,5-T, 0.05 ng/mL for simazine, and 0.1 ng/mL for atrazine, being acceptable for purposes of ecological monitoring.     

Development of Polarization Fluoroimmunoassay for the Detection of s-Triazine Herbicides

Abstract

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 μl 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.     

Pesticide levels in ground and surface waters of Primavera do Leste Region, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Residues of the herbicides simazine, metribuzin, metolachlor, trifluralin, atrazine, and two metabolites of atrazine, deisopropylatrazine (DIA) and deethylatrazine (DEA), are surveyed in the surface and groundwater of the Primavera do Leste region, Mato Grosso, Brazil during September and December 1998 and April 1999. Different water source sampling stations of groundwater (irrigation water well, drinking water well, and water hole) and surface water (dam and river) are set up based on agricultural land use. A solid-phase extraction procedure followed by gas chromatography-nitrogen-phosphorus detection is used for the determination of these compounds. All compounds are detected at least once in water samples. A temporal trend of pesticide contamination is observed, with the highest contamination frequency occurring in December during the main application season. Metribuzin shows the highest individual detection frequencies throughout the monitoring period, followed by metolachlor, simazine, and DEA. The maximum mean concentrations of pesticides in this study are in the range from 0.14 to 1.7 microg/L. We deduct that the contamination of water resources is predominantly caused by non-point pollution of pesticides used in intensive cash-crop cultures of the Cerrado area. Therefore, a continuous monitoring of pesticide concentrations in water resources of this tropical region is necessary to detect the longer term contamination trends and developing health risks.     

Immuno-arrays for multianalyte analysis of chlorotriazines

In this paper, a novel strategy for multicomponent analysis of two classes of pesticides such as triazines (atrazine and simazine) and phenoxyalkanoic acids (2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (CPOAc), phenoxyacetic acid (POAc)) employing immuno-arrays is demonstrated. The approach is based on cross-reactive arrays of specific antibody pairs coupled to chemometric pattern recognition. The monoclonal antibody pairs employed in this work (atrazine-simazine and 2,4-D) are specific towards a set of analytes and preclude a particular set of others present in the sample matrix. Antibody pairs of atrazine, simazine, and 2,4-D are used to discriminate and quantify analyte of interest. Atrazine was quantified in presence of trace concentration of simazine and that of 2,4-D. The combinatorial cross-reactivity of antibody pairs towards simazine, atrazine and 2,4-D is used to distinguish among different classes of analytes and their influence on the signal suppression in immuno-techniques. These sensors exclude recognition by carbamates such as carbaryl and carbofuran.     

Comparison of supercritical fluid extraction and liquid-liquid extraction for isolation of selected pesticides stored in freeze-dried water samples

Summary The stability of freeze-dried water samples spiked with eight agrochemicals (atrazine, simazine, linuron, carbaryl, propanil, fenitrothion, parathion and fenamiphos) were examined to evaluate their suitability as candidate reference materials for their determination in water samples. In addition, two different extraction procedures, liquid-liquid and supercritical fluid extraction, were compared for the isolation and trace enrichment of target analytes from freeze-dried water samples. Final analytical determinations were by gas chromatography-nitrogen phosphorus detection and electronic impact mass spectrometry, and by liquid chromatography-diode array detection. The whole methodology developed in this paper permitted the determination of pesticides spiked in water at levels varying from 0.03 to 6.9 g L^–1.     

Gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry applied for the analysis of triazine herbicides in environmental waters by an isotope dilution technique

A gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry method was developed for the analysis of simazine, atrazine, cyanazine, as well as the degradation products of atrazine, such as deethylatrazine and deisopropylatrazine in environmental water samples. Isotope dilution technique was applied for the quantitative analysis of atrazine in water at low ng/l levels. One liter of water sample spiked with stable isotope internal standard atrazine-d₅ was extracted with a C₁₈ solid-phase extraction cartridge. The analysis was performed on an ion trap mass spectrometer operated in MS/MS method. The extraction recoveries were in the range of 83-94% for the triazine herbicides in water at the concentrations of 24, 200, and 1000 ng/l, while poor recoveries were obtained for the degradation products of atrazine. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) were within the range of 3.2-16.1%. The detection limits of the method were between 0.75 and 12 ng/l when 1 l of water was analyzed. The method was successfully applied to analyze environmental water samples collected from a reservoir and a river in Hong Kong for atrazine detected at concentrations between 3.4 and 26 ng/l.