A highly sensitive monoclonal antibody based biosensor for quantifying 3-5 ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Immunotechnology

Background:

• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread environmental pollutants.
• Immunoassays utilizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) offer sensitive detection of PAHs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sensitive generic mAb for detecting various PAHs.
• To apply this mAb in a biosensor for rapid, real-time PAH quantification in environmental samples.

Main Methods:

• A three-step screening process was used to develop the generic anti-PAH mAb, designated 2G8.
• The 2G8 mAb was integrated into the KinExA Inline Biosensor system.
• Analyzed aqueous environmental samples for PAH concentrations.

Main Results:

• The 2G8 mAb demonstrated high sensitivity against 3- to 5-ring unsubstituted and methylated PAHs (IC50: 1.68–31 μg/L).
• The biosensor detected PAHs down to 0.2 μg/L with a 10-minute analysis time per sample.
• Good correlation was observed between biosensor results and GC-MS for total PAH concentrations in environmental samples.

Conclusions:

• The generic mAb 2G8-based biosensor is a sensitive and rapid tool for PAH determination.
• This method shows significant promise as a low-cost, efficient approach for monitoring PAHs in aqueous environments.