A New Monoclonal Antibody for the Sensitive Detection of Cyanazine and Other s-Triazines in Water by ELISA

A new monoclonal antibody with specificity for s-triazine herbicides was prepared using a tertbutyl-s-triazine hapten. An assay was developed, employing covalently immobilized hapten and monoclonal antibody labeled with horseradish peroxidase. This assay system had a detection limit of 0.01 gl^-1 cyanazine, with a coefficient of variation less than 3%. Analysis on three different spiked water types showed an average recovery of 101% at 0.1 gl^-1 cyanazine. Cross-reactions were found for atrazine, terbuthylazine and propazine in the range 18-62%. This immunoassay is therefore capable of detecting four different s-triazine herbicides at concentrations well below the limit value for drinking water of 0.1 gl^-1 stipulated by the EEC Council Directive on drinking water.