An antibody-based competition assay has been developed using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor platform for the detection of trinitrotoluene (TNT) in soil extract solutions. The objective of this work is to develop a sensor-based assay technology to use in the field for real- time detection of land mines. This immunoassay combines very simple bio-film attachment procedures and a low-cost SPR sensor design to detect TNT in soil extracts. The active bio-surface is a coating of bovine serum albumin that has been decorated with trinitrobenzene groups. A blind study on extracts from a large soil matrix was recently performed and result from this study will be presented. Potential interferant studied included 2,4-dinitrophenol, 2,4- dinitrotoluene, ammonium nitrate, and 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Cross-reactivity with dinitrotoluene will be discussed. Also, plans to reach sensitivity levels of 1ppb TNT in soil will be described.

Date Published: 2 August 1999
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 3710, Detection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets IV, (2 August 1999); doi: 10.1117/12.357059

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3710:
Detection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets IV
Abinash C. Dubey; James F. Harvey; J. Thomas Broach; Regina E. Dugan, Editor(s)