| abstract |
A method for determining qualitatively or quantitatively the presence of polychlorinated biphenyl in a test sample. The method includes the steps of: providing a known quantity of antibodies to polychlorinated biphenyl; providing a competitor that will bind to said antibodies in competition with polychlorinated biphenyl and having a lower affinity to said antibodies than said antibodies have to polychlorinated biphenyl; incubating said antibodies and said competitor in the presence of a test sample; and detecting the presence of polychlorinated biphenyl in the test sample. The competitor used in this method has one of the following structures: <IMAGE> FORMULA I <IMAGE> FORMULA II wherein A is selected from the group consisting of -NH-, -S-, -O-, -CH2-, -NH-C(O)-, -C(O)-NH-, -NH-C(O)-NH-, -NH-C(S)-NH-, -N(CH3)-, -N(CH3)2-, and -O-C(S)-NH-; B is preferably a single bond or an organic or inorganic group; C is selected from the group consisting of -CO2H, -NH2, -CHO, and -OH; Y and Y' are selected from the group consisting of -H and -C1; n=0-5; p=0-3; and q=0-4. |