PT07 Contaminated Harbor and River Sediment
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Tuesday, 11 November 2003
(PT101) Use of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays for Analyzing PCB, PBDE and PAH Contamination in an Urban Great Lakes tributary and Quantification by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.
Abdallah, F1, Aga, D1, Inamdar, S3, Tsai, C2, Franceschini, S2, 1 Chemistry Department, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA3 Geography and Urban Planning, Buffalo State College, Buffalo, NY, USA2 Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
ABSTRACT- The Scajaquada Creek receives runoff from 29 square miles of urban and suburban communities around the City of Buffalo and drains into the Niagara River,which has been categorized as a Great Lakes Area of Concern (AOC). High concentrations of nutrients, heavy metals, PCBs, and PAHs have been reported in the creek's water and sediments and are a cause of concern. PCB concentrations in creek's fish are the highest of all the Niagara River tributaries sampled. Determining the level of contamination of sediments by hydrophobic compounds such as PBDEs, PCBs, PAHs, and common pesticides is costly and time-consuming. However, knowledge of the spatial distribution of these contaminants is critical for identifying localized sources, implementing remedial actions, and assessing the suitability of the water as habitat for aquatic organisms. We used class-selective enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) that respond to several PCB congeners (Aroclor 1016, 1232, 1242, 1248, 1254, 1260, 1262, and 1268) and selected carcinogenic PAHs (Benzo (a) anthracene, Chrysene, Benzo (b) Fluoarenthene, Benzo (a) pyrene, Benzo (k) fluoranthene, among others). ELISA is an effective method of analysis that relies on specific interactions between antibodies and antigen (target analyte) to measure the concentration of the contaminant. The use of ELISA as a screening tool allows the collection of more samples for improved spatial resolution that is otherwise cost-prohibitive. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) an analytical method by which a sample is vaporized and separated into individual organic compounds was used to quantify the amount of each individual PAH component in the sediment samples. Both ELISA and GC/MS found high concentrations of PAHs and PCBs.
Key words: PBDE, PCB, PAH, ELISA