High-throughput multiplexed competitive immunoassay for pollutants sensing in water

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Accurate detection of water pollutants is crucial for environmental safety.
• Existing methods for multiple pollutant detection can be time-consuming and complex.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel, fully automated multiplex competitive immunoassay.
• To enable simultaneous detection of five key water pollutants.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an optical-clear pressure-sensitive adhesive for biomolecule immobilization in a 96-well format.
• Optimized microarray composition and cross-reactivity using various probe-carrier conjugates.
• Screened 17 different probes and controls for specific reactivity.

Main Results:

• Achieved simultaneous detection of okadaic acid, atrazine, 2,4-D, TNT, and RDX in under 3 hours for 96 samples.
• Established low limits of detection for OA (0.02 μg L⁻¹), atrazine (0.01 μg L⁻¹), 2,4-D (0.01 μg L⁻¹), and RDX (0.02 μg L⁻¹).
• Demonstrated proof of concept for multiplexed, semi-quantitative/qualitative detection in spiked samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed automated multiplex immunoassay is a sensitive and efficient tool for water pollutant detection.
• This technology facilitates rapid, simultaneous analysis of multiple contaminants.
• The platform shows promise for environmental monitoring and water quality assessment.