Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) report for the Westinghouse Bio-Analytic Systems pentachlorophenol (PCPpcp) immunoassays

The results of the demonstration of two Westinghouse Bio-Analytic Systems (WBAS) immunoassay technologies are described in the report. The immunoassays measure parts per billion concentrations of pentachlorophenol in environmental water samples. The study was conducted under the Superfund innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program and designed to evaluate the ruggedness and utility of a semiquantitative immunoassay field kit. Results obtained from the field kit were compared to those obtained from a quantitative, high-sample-capacity plate immunoassay. The results of the WBAS immunoassay demonstration support the conclusion that the field immunoassay is a useful screening tool. The demonstration verified that the method can provide qualitative or semiquantitative screening information. Although the results were more variable than had been anticipated, the incorporation of additional procedural precautions and carefully chosen quality control acceptance criteria for on-site analysis could improve performance substantially. Both immunoassays produced results biased high compared to the GC/MS results, but the tendency was not large and may have been partly due to loss during sample extraction (EPA Method 3510) prior to analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The detection of structurally related compounds by the immunoassays may have also contributed to the high bias. The results indicate that the plate immunoassay is anmore » accurate and precise method for quantitating pentachlorophenol in water.« less