Feasibility Of Establishing An Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Laboratory For The Detection Of Dioxins In Economically Marginalized And Developed Countries

Finding a low cost and accessible means of detecting for dioxins in contaminated soil is a necessary step to ensure the health and safety of humans and the environment worldwide. Conventional technologies based on mass spectrometry are expensive and inaccessible. A minimally resourced laboratory and the use of ELISA will be discussed as a feasible, accessible, low cost alternative. The correlation between a minimally resourced laboratory (Ryerson University) and a fully resourced laboratory (Ontario Ministry of the Environment) was strong (n=13, r²=0.888, slope=0.87). To demonstrate the functionality of the minimally resourced laboratory, a supplemental site was characterized using ELISA. Results from the Ryerson and OMOE laboratories produced similar dioxin concentrations of undetectable to 120.26pgTEQg⁻¹ and 32.38 to 163.2pgTEQg⁻¹, respectively. This study illustrates an alternative for evaluating contaminated soil that could serve as a technology transfer for marginalized economies, and provide an accessible form of sample analysis in developed countries.