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Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for atrazine monitoring in water samples

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Abstract

The implementation of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) requires the establishment of monitoring programs. However, conventional procedures for sample preparation prior to chromatographic analysis are rather expensive and time consuming, being the development of cost-effective and easy tool a necessity. The aim of this work was to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) able to determine atrazine in water samples. Matrix effects evaluation showed that the increase of humic acid (HA) concentration leads to flattened calibration curves and to the loss of the sigmoidal shape. However, such interference was overcome, by the presence of an environmental sample buffer, incubated together with the samples. Recoveries from 88.5 to 119.2 % were obtained in the presence of HA concentrations up to 20 mg L−1. An analytical range from 0.003 to 1 μg L−1 was obtained, and atrazine was detected in a sewage treatment plant with concentrations ranging from 14 to 52 ng L−1.

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Acknowledgements

Diana Lima thanks Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal) (SFRH/BPD/80315/2011) for her post-doctoral grant. The authors also want to acknowledge workers from Aveiro local authorities for kind assistance in sample collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CESAM & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    Diana L. D. Lima & Valdemar I. Esteves

  2. Department of Complementary Sciences, Superior School of Health Technology of Coimbra, Rua 5 de Outubro S. Martinho do Bispo Apartado 7006, 3040-854, Coimbra, Portugal

    Diana L. D. Lima

  3. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Reference Materials, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Richard-Willstaetter-Str. 11, 12489, Berlin, Germany

    Rudolf J. Schneider

Authors
  1. Diana L. D. Lima
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  2. Rudolf J. Schneider
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  3. Valdemar I. Esteves
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Correspondence to Valdemar I. Esteves.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Lima, D.L.D., Schneider, R.J. & Esteves, V.I. Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for atrazine monitoring in water samples. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 3157–3164 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1227-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1227-z

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