Quantification of total polychlorinated biphenyl by dechlorination to biphenyl by Pd/Fe and Pd/Mg bimetallic particles

摘要

More than 20 years after their use was discontinued, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) remain a persistent environmental problem. This is attributable to the chemical stability and hydrophobic nature of PCBs (1). There is therefore much interest in their analysis in environmental and biological samples. However, PCB analysis can be problematic. This arises because of the possibility of PCB mixtures containing up to 209 congeners. Most commercial mixtures contain about 100 components. Errors in the analysis of PCBs are further compounded by wide variations in the response of each congener to the predominate method of analysis, GC-ECD (2, 3). Environmental aging, varying degrees of volatility for each congener, and coelution of matrix species also add to the uncertainty of PCB analysis (1, 2). These features may give rise to congener populations that are different from the original commercial mixtures and thus skew total PCB estimates (1, 2).