Antibody-based Chemical Sensor Development at VIMS: Basic and Applied Research
NOAA CICEET funded research
Sept 2007-2009 Unger & Kaattari, VIMS
Bromage, U Mass
Candace Spier,
VIMS Graduate Student
ObjectivesObjectives
The over all goal of this proposal is to validate a
new field deployable sensor technology for
differentiating and quantifying specific petrogenic
PAH’s from pyrogenic PAHs in aquatic systems.
This will provide water quality managers, as well as
environmental monitoring and compliance officer’s
access to real-time data, allowing knowledge-based
decisions.
Crown
Tank Farm (CF)
Potential Study Sites
Elizabeth River, Southern Branch
PAH in Sediment
1.00E+06
1.00E+07
Co
nc
en
tra
tio
n (
pp
b)
Sensor Development & Validation: Basic and Applied Research
Using real time chemical analyses to answer difficult questions for science and environmental management
Elizabeth River:
D e e p C r e e k
Scuffletown Creek (SC) Jones Creek (JC) Paradise
Creek (PC)
Atlantic Wood
Industry (AW)
Refueling Station (RS) Channel
Marker 2 (CM)
Power Plant (PP)
1.00E+02
1.00E+03
1.00E+04
1.00E+05
1.00E+06
PP
PC
NM
JC
CM
SC
CF
RS
AW
Station
Co
nc
en
tra
tio
n (
pp
b)
Replicate 1Replicate 2
Can We Differentiate Contaminant Sources?Develop New Antibodies
Oil, Creosote, Groundwater, Stormwater Runoff
The ideal PAHstudy site
Creosote and Oil- Sources for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH)
Naphthalene Anthracene Phenanthrene Pyrene
Chrysene Benzo[j]fluoranthene Benzo[a]pyrene
Unsubstituted PAH Common in Samples from Pyrogenic Sources
PAH’s in the Elizabeth River, VA
CoronenePerylene
Examples of Alkyl Substituted PAH Common in Petroleum
1,3-Dimethyl-naphthalene 1,3,5-Trimethyl-naphthalene
2,6-Dimethyl-phenanthrene 2,3,7-Trimethyl-phenanthrene
Why measure PAH?Are there Biological Effects from High PAH Concentrations?
PAH induced liver lesions and cancer in Fundulus heteroclitus
Elizabeth River
Where PAH are highTumors are high
Industry and Agency Partners
Potential end users of sensor technology
Atlantic Wood Industries, Inc.
Money Point: ERP site targeted
for remediation
Sensor Development & Validation: Basic and Applied Research
Dredging in River:
Define PAH plume?
Groundwater with liquid
product:product:
Monitor PAH over time,
phytoremediation
Partners: ERP, Hess,
Malcolm Pirnie
PAH in sediment
Fish tumors
Sensor Development & Validation: Basic and Applied Research
Atlantic Wood Industries
EPA Superfund clean up
Monitoring needs:
Dredging plumes
Ground water
Long-term monitoring
Comparison of PAH in Water Soluble Fractions
Creosote vs Oil Sources
1
10
100
1000
Naphthalene Biphenyl Fluorene Dibenzothiophene Phenanthrene
Compounds
Wate
r C
on
cen
trati
on
(µ
g/L
) Prudhoe Crude
Atlantic Wood Creosote
Comparison of PAH in Water Soluble Fractions
Creosote vs Oil Sources
0.80
1.00
1.20
Ra
tio
of
alk
yla
ted
/pa
ren
t P
AH Prudhoe Crude
Atlantic Wood Creosote
New antibodies to distinguish
PAH sources
Target compounds?
Multi-compound/antibody analysis
Sensor Development & Validation: Basic and Applied Research
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
C1/NAP C2/NAP C3/NAP C4/NAP C1/BIP C2/BIP C4/BIP C1/FLR C2/FLR C1/PHEN C2/PHEN
Compounds
Ra
tio
of
alk
yla
ted
/pa
ren
t P
AH
Comparison of PAH in Elizabeth River Sediments
Atlantic Wood vs. Money Point
0.00
5.00
10.00
15.00
20.00
25.00
30.00
C1/NAP C2/NAP C3/NAP C4/NAP C1/BIP C2/BIP C4/BIP C1/FLR C2/FLR C1/PHEN C2/PHEN
Compounds
Ra
tio
of
alk
yla
ted
/pa
ren
t P
AH
Money Point Atlantic Wood
Two ring and alkylated antibodies under development
Sensor Development & Validation: Basic and Applied Research
Goals for next 6-9 months:
Analysis of PAH (phenanthrene) kinetics
-toxicology applicationPhenanthrene
300.0
400.0
500.0
600.0
Co
ncen
trati
on
(u
g/L
)
200
300 More accurate
0.0
100.0
200.0
300.0
0 20 40 60
Time (h)
Co
ncen
trati
on
(u
g/L
)
300
400
500
Work with industry/gov. partners to analyze groundwater
samples from their PAH contaminated field sites
Measure PAH in the E. River water column
during dredging operation
More accurate
estimate of “dose”