Streamlined Polychlorinated Biphenyls Analysis Using Multiple Solvent Wash and Automated Injection of Internal Standards

New Organic Monitoring Techniques
Poster Presentation

Presented by R. Marfil-Vega
Prepared by Y. Lin, N. Lock, R. Marfil-Vega
Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, 7102 Riverwood Drive, Columbia, MD, 21046, United States


Contact Information: [email protected]; 410-910-0884

ABSTRACT

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of toxic and persistent compounds that were widely as dielectrics and electrical apparatus coolant fluid for decades. As a result, clean-up efforts to mitigate their contamination are still on-going. EPA 8082A is a method commonly used to analyze PCBs, either in the form of individual congeners or as Aroclors, in soils, tissues, oil and aqueous samples. There are two key steps in this method to ensure a robust performance: 1) the use of internal standard is highly recommended for accurately quantifying the PCB congeners and 2) the need of multiple solvent washes of the injection needed to minimize sample contamination and carry-over.
In this study, we will share the performance of the AOC-30i in combination with the Nexis GC-2030 for the analysis of PCB congeners. Superior repeatability and minimal carry-over were achieved by the automatic internal standard addition and flexible solvent wash capabilities. A method with a run time of 10 min was developed. Results showed excellent accuracy and resolution.