IMMUNOAFFINITY CHROMATOGRAPHY OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS IN COLUMNS PREPARED BY THE SOL-GEL METHOD

This paper describes the immobilisation of the IgG fraction of an anti -pyrene antiserum by the sol-gel method and evaluates the performance of the immunoaffinity columns prepared with respect to column stabilit y, capacity, selectivity and nonspecific binding on the glass matrix. The immunoaffinity columns prepared had a pyrene-breakthrough capacity of 78 ng g(-1) gel and 38 ng mg(-1) IgG. Pyrene could be isolated and enriched by a factor of 125. No change in specific retention properti es could be observed after 10 absorption/desorption cycles. Cross-reac tivity of the antibodies with some of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocar bons (PAHs) selected by the US EPA and German Authorities (TVO standar ds) to monitor PAH contamination resulted in quantitative retention of fluoranthene and some retention of fluorene, phenanthrene and anthrac ene. Non-specific adsorption on the glass matrix dominates the retenti on of the TVO- and EPA-PAHs with log K-ow>5.2 Storage of the columns i n buffer slowly increases non-specific binding.