Patent ID: 7166440

Claim:
An immunoassay for determining an amount of dioxins in a sample comprising: subjecting the sample and a competitive antigen for dioxins to a competitive reaction with an anti-dioxin antibody for a time and under conditions where two immunocomplexes are formed, wherein one immunocomplex is formed between dioxins in the sample and the anti-dioxin antibody and another immunocomplex is formed between the competitive antigen for dioxins and the anti-dioxin antibody, wherein the competitive antigen for dioxins is a 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyalkyl carboxylic acid represented by the following formula (I): where n is an integer of 1 to 10; determining formation of the immunocomplex between the competitive antigen for dioxins and the anti-dioxin antibody by a competitive immunoassay procedure; and calculating the amount of dioxins based on the formation of the immunocomplex between the competitive antigen for dioxins and the anti-dioxin antibody.