Biological monitoring of 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (II): evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the analysis of water, urine, and serum samples.

Chlorophenols are frequently found in the urine of the population as consequence of the widespread use of chlorophenols and other organochlorinated compounds. An immunoassay for 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (2,4,5-TCP) has been evaluated as a tool to assess risk exposure of the population to these substances. The immunoassay is stable in media with pH values ranging from 6.6 to 10.5 units and ionic strength values varying within 20 and 80 mS cm(-)(1). Considering these parameters, the optimized immunoassay shows a limit of detection of 0.05 microg L(-)(1) and the dynamic range is placed between 0.09 and 0.72 microg L(-)(1). It shows a good accuracy and the coefficients of variation within and between assays are around 12% or lower. However, matrix effects can diminish the efficiency and detectability of the immunochemical methods. In this paper, the effect of water and complex biological sample matrices, such as serum and urine, on the immunoassay for 2,4,5-TCP has been evaluated. Simple sample treatment procedures have been developed for the analysis of these matrices. The final analytical protocols allow straightforward immunochemical determination of 2,4,5-TCP in natural waters, urine, and serum with detection limits of 0.07, 0.26, and 0.8 microg L(-)(1), respectively.