Radioimmunoassay of polyacrylamide

Summary Antiserum to polyacrylamide has been produced in rabbits. It can be used in a sensitive radioimmunoassay for quantitation of polyacrylamide at very low concentrations. This novel approach to the analysis of a synthetic, biologically inactive, hydrocarbon polymer has potentially widespread implications, for example, in the downstream measurement of flocculating agents used in water purification treatments.Acknowlegment. We thank L. P. McCarty for coordination of the project, F. A. Blanchard for synthesis of the¹⁴C-PAA, and C. Brown and J. Cuan for technical assistance in the biological studies.