A fluoroimmunoassay based on quantum dot-streptavidin conjugate for the detection of chlorpyrifos

A rapid and sensitive competitive fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay (cFLISA) based on quantum dot-streptavidin conjugate (QDs-SA) was developed for the detection of chlorpyrifos in drinking water. The QDs-SA conjugate, which consists of 3-mercaptopropyl acid-stabilized CdTe nanoparticle QDs and streptavidin (SA) made through the active ester method, was employed to improve the sensitivity of QDs-SA-cFLISA. The 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) and the limit of detection (LOD) were 28.5 and 3.8 ng mL(-1), respectively. QDs-SA-cFLISA increased sensitivity 5.5-fold and reduced detection time by 1 h compared with conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). With chlorpyrifos concentrations of 100, 50, and 20 ng mL(-1), recoveries ranged from 85.9% to 105.3% with coefficients of variation ranging from 6.3% to 13.5%. This study demonstrated that QDs-SA-cFLISA was more rapid and sensitive than conventional ELISA. Therefore, it can be used as a novel screening method for the detection of pesticide residues.