Determination of 1-nitropyrene with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay versus high-performance column switching...

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on microplates and a HPLC coupled-column switching method were compared for the determination of the nitroarene compound 1-nitropyrene in airborne particulate organic matter collected at a busy intersection over a period of 2 months. After purification of the sample extract with silica, in the multidimensional chromatographic method nitroarenes were separated on a RP18 precolumn from matrix constituents followed by on-line reduction to corresponding aminoarenes with a Pt catalyst on alumina and a further separation of 1-aminopyrene on a second RP18 column. Methanol-water (70:30, v/v) was the mobile phase used. With ELISA, a six-fold overestimation was obtained for untreated samples. After clean-up it was lowered to approximately 1.6-fold overestimation which was mainly caused by cross-reaction of 2-nitropyrene and 2-nitrofluoranthene.