Kaware, M., Environmental Protection and Research Institute, Gaza, Palestine
Bronshtein, A., Department of Entomology, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
Safi, J., Environmental Protection and Research Institute, Gaza, Palestine
Van Emon, J.M., National Exposure Research Laboratory, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas, NV 89193-3478, United States
Chuang, J.C., Battelle, Columbus, OH 43201-2693, United States
Hock, B., Center of Life Sciences, Technical University of München, Alte Akademie 12, 85354 Freising, Germany
Kramer, K., Center of Life Sciences, Technical University of München, Alte Akademie 12, 85354 Freising, Germany
Altstein, M., Department of Entomology, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel, Department of Entomology, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, 50250, Israel

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and sol-gel-based immunoaffinity purification (IAP) methods for the pyrethroid bioallethrin were developed and applied for monitoring bioallethrin in spiked food, soil, and dust samples. Attempts to determine bioallethrin content in fruit and vegetable extracts revealed high variability between sample preparations and marked interferences with the assay. Sol-gel IAP followed by solid-phase sample concentration was effective in removing the interfering components and resulted in high recovery of bioallethrin from spiked crude acetonic extracts of fruits and vegetables, even in the presence of high extract concentrations (28%). Solid-phase treatment alone failed to remove the interfering components from the spiked sample. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the IAP samples revealed bioallethrin as a doublet unsolved peak because of the cis and trans isomer present in the standard with confirmation of its mass. Unlike fruit and vegetable extracts, soil and dust samples did not interfere with the ELISA, and the bioallethrin content in those samples could be determined with high precision without the need of any further purification. © 2006 American Chemical Society.