ANALYSIS OF PESTICIDES IN FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL-SAMPLES BY ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAYS

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are the most extensively s tudied types of immunoassay and their application in pesticide residue monitoring is an area with enormous potential for growth. In comparis on with classical analytical methods, ELISA methods offer the possibil ity of highly sensitive, relatively rapid, and cost-effective measurem ents. This review introduces the general ELISA formats used, focusing on their use in pesticide analysis. Identifying and studying the effec ts of interferences in immunoassays is an active area of research and we discuss the matrix effects observed in several studies involving e. g. food, crop and environmental samples. The procedures to eliminate t he matrix interferences are briefly discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scien ce B.V.