A polyclonal rabbit antibody preparation against aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), produced by immunization with a bovine serum albumin-AFB1 conjugate, has been used to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). AFB1-ovalbumin, obtained by reacting either AFB1-8,9-dichloride or -8,9-dibromide with ovalbumin, was used to coat each well of a polyvinyl microtitre dish. Rabbit antibody, diluted 1:100 000, was added to each well and left to attach for 90 min, then the excess was washed off with phosphate-buffered saline/Tween. Anti-rabbit IgG coupled to peroxidase was then added, left for 90 min and the excess washed away. Residual peroxidase activity was assayed using tetramethylbenzidine as substrate; the reaction was quenched at the end of the 15-min incubation period with 2 N sulfuric acid. Inhibitor studies to assay AFB1 and related compounds in urine involved prior incubation of the diluted anti-AFB1 antibody with inhibitor for 60 min at 37 degrees C, prior to dispensing into the multi-well plates. Inhibitor studies with AFB1 showed inhibition over a concentration range of 10(-1) to 10(-5) micrograms/ml. The minimum detectable concentration was approximately 10(-5) micrograms/ml (0.032 pmol/ml). Anti-AFB1 antibody was also inhibited by iro-AFB1-DNA, one of the forms of AFB1-DNA, as well as by AFB1-guanine. Undiluted urine from normal subjects inhibited antibody binding to plates; this inhibition could be prevented by either dilution or extraction procedures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)