A multi-colloidal gold immunochromatography assay for rapid and simultaneous detection of 13 herbicides

Herbicide residues in agricultural products can have adverse effects on the environment and human health, therefore, there is an urgent need to establish a sensitive, rapid, and wide-ranging detection method. In this study, haptens of phenylurea herbicides (PUs) and sulfonylurea herbicides (SUs) were analyzed and designed based on computational simulation techniques, and two high-performance broad-spectrum monoclonal antibodies against PUs and SUs were prepared. On this basis, a multi-colloidal gold immunochromatography assay (multi-CGIA) was developed to simultaneously detect 13 herbicides in wheat. The visual limit of detection (vLOD) for PUs including diuron, chlortoluron, neburon, chlorbromuron, and linuron was 1–2 µg/kg. The vLOD for SUs including metsulfuron methyl, ethametsulfuron-methyl, sulfometuron-methyl, tribenuron methyl, cinosulfuron, triasulfuron, chlorimuron-ethyl, and chlorsulfuron was 2–10 µg/kg. The results of real sample determination indicated that the multi-CGIA is accurate, stable, and reliable, and adaptable to on-site preliminary screening of actual samples.