The use of immunoassay technology in the monitoring of algal biotoxins in farmed shellfish

The use of immunoassay technology as an adjunct method for monitoring biotoxins in shellfish was investigated at aquaculture sites in Killary Harbour, Ireland, during summer 2009. Sub-samples of mussels (Mytilus edulis) were taken from batches collected as part of the Irish National Phytoplankton and Biotoxin Monitoring Programme (NMP). Samples were analysed for Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxins using a commercially available ELISA immunoassay kit. The results were compared with those obtained by chemical (liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry, LC-MS) and biological (mouse bioassay, MBA) methods from the monitoring programme. DSP levels increased in late June 2009 over the European Union maximum permitted level of 0.16 μg g-1 and positive MBA results led to harvest closures. This event was reflected in both the chemical and immunoassay results, where a positive relationship between them was found.

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10793/1274

Citation

Wilson, A., Keady, E., Silke, J. and Raine, R. (2013). The use of immunoassay technology in the monitoring of algal biotoxins in farmed shellfish, in: Pagou, P. and Hallegraeff, G. (eds). Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Harmful Algae. International Society for the Study of Harmful Algae and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, pp. 191-193, http://www.issha.org/Welcome-to-ISSHA/Conferences/ICHA-conference-proceedings/ICHA14-Proceedings