Abstract: The present invention provides a method for determining qualitatively or quantitatively the presence of toxic congeners of polychlorinated biphenyl in a test sample. The method includes the steps of: providing a known quantity of antibodies to the toxic polychlorinated biphenyl congener; providing a competitor that will bind to said antibodies in competition with the toxic polychlorinated biphenyl congener and having a lower affinity to said antibodies than said antibodies have to the toxic polychlorinated biphenyl congener; incubating said antibodies and said competitor in the presence of a test sample; and detecting the presence of the toxic polychlorinated biphenyl toxic congener in the test sample.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for determining qualitatively or quantitatively the presence of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in a test sample. The method includes the steps of: providing a known quantity of antibodies to the polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans; providing a competitor that will bind to said antibodies in competition with the polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans and having a lower affinity to said antibodies than said antibodies have to the polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans; incubating said antibodies and said competitor in the presence of a test sample; and detecting the presence of the polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in the test sample. The invention also provides methods of using the competitor of the present invention to detect qualitatively or quantitatively polycyclic aromatic compounds.

Abstract: A method for determining qualitatively or quantitatively the presence of polychlorinated biphenyl in a test sample. The method includes the steps of: providing a known quantity of antibodies to polychlorinated biphenyl; providing a competitor that will bind to said antibodies in competition with polychlorinated biphenyl and having a lower affinity to said antibodies than said antibodies have to polychlorinated biphenyl; incubating said antibodies and said competitor in the presence of a test sample; and detecting the presence of polychlorinated biphenyl in the test sample. The competitor used in this method has one of the following structures: ##STR1## wherein A is selected from the group consisting of --NH--, --S--, --O--, --CH.sub.2 --, --NH--C(O)--, --C(O)--NH--, --NH--C(O)--NH--, --NH--C(S)--NH--, --N(CH.sub.3)--, --N(CH.sub.3).sub.2 --, and --O--C(S)--NH--; B is preferably a single bond or an organic or inorganic group; C is selected from the group consisting of --CO.sub.2 H, --NH.sub.