Immunochemistry has broad applications for a wide variety of environmental contaminants. However, the potential for applying immunochemical methods to environmental measurements is just beginning to be realized. Immunochemical methods are based on specific antibodies combining with their target analyte(s). Many specific antibodies have been produced for targets of environmental and human health concern. Such antibodies can be configured into various analytical methods. The most popular Immunochemical technique in environmental analyses today is immunoassay. Immunoassays have been shown to detect and quantify many compounds of environmental interest such as pesticides, industrial chemicals, and products of xenobiotic metabolism. Among the most important advantages of immunoassays are their speed, sensitivity, selectivity and cost-effectiveness.

Immunochemical methods for the analysis of environmental contaminants are relatively new on the analytical chemistry scene. These methods are based on the use of a specific antibody as a detector for the analyte of interest. Immunoassays are rapid, sensitive, and selective, and are generally cost effective for large sample loads. They have been applied to diverse chemical structures (i.e., triazines, sulfonylureas, organo-phosphates, polychlorinated biphenyls, cyclodienes) and are adaptable to field use. These characteristics make immunochemical analysis a valuable tool for use by the environmental analytical chemist. This document is designed to facilitate the transfer of this valuable technology to the environmental analytical chemistry laboratory. Field personnel who may need to employ a measurement technology at a monitoring site mayalso find this manual helpful.

This book is a tutorial designed to instruct the reader in use and application of immunochemical methods of analysis for environmental contaminants. A brief introduction describes basic principles and the advantages and disadvantages of the technology, and gives a listing of references which supply more detail. Preparation of the laboratory for use of this technology and the general scientific considerations prior to using the technology are discussed. Detailed step-wise procedures are given for analysis of selected analytes, triazine herbicides, carbaryl, paraquat, and p-nitrophenols, etc. In addition to the specific immunoassay methods, a series of support techniques necessary to perform immunochemical methods are described.

This book provides specific instruction for certain analytes, but also serves to familiarize the novice reader with many generic concepts needed to successfully utilize immunochemistry technology including: applications, sampling, sample preparation, extraction, cleanup, quality assurance, methods development and optimization, data handling and troubleshooting. It is not necessary for the reader to actually perform the immunoassays given in this User's Guide to obtain familiarity with these concepts. The Guide is written so that the information presented can be applied to other immunoassays not given here. Thus, the strength of the Guide is its universal applicability to immunoassay methods.