IMMUNOASSAY TO DETECT ENHANCED CARBAMOTHIOATE DEGRADATION IN SOIL

An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for EPTC was dev eloped that may be useful for predicting enhanced carbamothioate herbi cide degradation in adapted soils. A modified radioimmunoassay (RIA) p rocedure was used to detect antibodies specific for EPTC and establish antibody dilutions for optimum ELISA sensitivity. Antibodies were obt ained from a rabbit injected with a butylate-analog protein conjugate. An indirect ELISA subsequently was developed for EPTC with a detectio n range of 10 to 1280 ng ml-1 in a 1:3 aqueous dilution of a 90:10 (v/ v) acetonitrile (ACN):water soil extract. EPTC recovery from soil was > 96%, as determined by conventional gas chromatography. Measurement o f low concentrations of residual EPTC with the ELISA was less quantita tive than by gas chromatography, but the immunoassay provided a rapid, potentially cost-effective method for screening soils to determine en hanced carbamothioate degradation.