Validation of an analytical procedure for polychlorinated biphenyls, coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental samples

This work describes an efficient analytical procedure for the analysis of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), coplanar PCBs and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) from the same sample. The method includes a solvent extraction followed by a combined purification–separation step on an alumina–silica column. Coplanar PCBs are isolated from the first fraction (PCBs) by a further high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fractionation on a PYE [2-(1-pyrenyl)ethyldimethylsilylated silica gel] column. PCBs are identified and quantified by gas chromatography (GC) with electron-capture detection whereas GC with flame ionization detection or mass spectrometry are used for PAH determinations. This method allows the measurement of these contaminants in biota and sediment at trace levels as low as 1 pg g−1 for coplanar PCBs with a precision better than 20%.