Chemiluminescence-based method for rapid and sensitive in-situ detection of organophosphorus compounds and metal ions

A method of quantifying a species selected from one of the groups consisting of organophosphorus compounds and metal ions which may be present in a liquid medium being monitored for the presence of a said species, consisting of:

• providing a phenyl-substituted 1,2-dioxetane compound, said compound being a chloro 3-(4-methoxy spiro ›1,2-dioxetane-3-2'-trichloro-›3.3.1.1!-decan!-4-yl) phenyl phosphate, that is catalytically degradable to produce light;
• providing an enzyme which catalytically degrades said compound to produce light, and whose catalytic activity toward said compound is inhibited by the species being quantified;
• exposing said compound and said enzyme together to the medium being monitored for the species being quantified;
• and
• resolving from the light produced after the exposing step, the concentration in the medium of the species being quantified.

A method of detecting the presence of a substance selected from one of the groups consisting of organophosphorus compounds and metal ions being monitored in a liquid medium which may contain a substance being monitored, consisting of:

• providing a 1,2-dioxetane phenyl phosphate compound, said compound being a chloro 3-(4-methoxy spiro ›1,2-dioxetane-3-2'-trichloro-›3.3.1.1!-decan!-4-yl) phenyl phosphate;
• providing a phosphatase that catalytically degrades said 1,2-dioxetane phenyl phosphate to produce light, wherein the catalytic activity of the phosphatase toward the 1,2-dioxetane phenyl phosphate compound is altered by the presence of the substance being monitored;
• exposing said 1,2-dioxetane phenyl phosphate compound and said phosphatase together to the medium which may contain the substance being monitored;
• detecting light produced after the exposing step;
• and
• determining, from the detected light, the presence in the medium of the substance being monitored.