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Immunoassay for rapid on-site detection of glyphosate herbicide

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Abstract

Glyphosate is the most widespread herbicide and its global use is steadily increasing. Although glyphosate is considered to have low toxicity, its wide application has raised concerns about its effects on human health. The extensive use of glyphosate has risen a need of its continuous monitoring in drinking and surface waters to assure in accordance with the set standards. Within the present study, we have developed a novel assay for the on-site detection of glyphosate by combining flow-through technology with the high specificity of immunorecognition. The proposed biosensing system was based on the detection of fluorescence signal generated by the quantitative replacement of glyphosate in antigen-antibody complex with IgY-type anti-glyphosate antibodies on microbeads by synthetic 5-carboxytetramethylrhodamine (5-TAMRA) conjugated glyphosate. The working range of this assay was in low millimolar range and the time required for glyphosate detection around 0.5 h. The applicability of the immunoassay for glyphosate detection in surface water was tested and the biosensor results were validated with high-performance liquid chromatography.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Riin Rebane from the Estonian Environmental Research Center for her contribution to the validation of biosensor results.

Funding

This work was supported by the Estonian Research Council Grant No. IUT 20-17.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411, Tartu, Estonia

    E. Viirlaid, M. Ilisson, S. Kopanchuk, U. Mäeorg, A. Rinken & T. Rinken

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  1. E. Viirlaid
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  2. M. Ilisson
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  3. S. Kopanchuk
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  4. U. Mäeorg
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  5. A. Rinken
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Correspondence to E. Viirlaid.

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Electronic supplementary material

Figure 1S.

1H NMR spectrum of N-(hept-6-ynoyl)-N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine. (DOCX 163 kb)

Figure 2S.

13C NMR spectrum of N-(hept-6-ynoyl)-N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine. (DOCX 104 kb)

Figure 3S.

1H-1H COSY NMR spectrum of N-(hept-6-ynoyl)-N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine. (DOCX 113 kb)

Figure 4S.

1H-13C HSQC NMR spectrum of N-(hept-6-ynoyl)-N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine. (DOCX 95 kb)

Figure 5S.

1H-13C HMBC NMR spectrum of N-(hept-6-ynoyl)-N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine. (DOCX 107 kb)

Figure 6S.

HPLC-MS spectra of 5-TAMRA-glyphosate. From above: a.) Ion chromatogram with TIC, m/z=396 and m/z=788, b.) Extracted mass spectrum from 10,52 min datapoint, c.) Chromatogram at wavelength 280 nm, d.) Chromatogram at wavelength 546 nm. (DOCX 170 kb)

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Viirlaid, E., Ilisson, M., Kopanchuk, S. et al. Immunoassay for rapid on-site detection of glyphosate herbicide. Environ Monit Assess 191, 507 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-7657-z

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