GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION OF POLYCHLORINATED-BIPHENYLS ON A NEW APOLAR CAPILLARY COLUMN

Eighty one polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and nineteen chlorinated pesticide standards have been analyzed on a newly developed apolar high resolution gas chromatography (HRGC) column. Emphasis was placed on the determination of PCB indicator congeners which are part of national regulations, and of toxic coplanar PCB congeners, The new column enables almost unambiguous quantification of the PCB indicator congeners (PCB 138 can be separated from both PCB 163 and PCB 164; PCB 28 and PCB 31 were also separated and no coelution was observed for PCB 52, PCB 118, and PCB 180). The new column furnished better results than CP-SII 8 for the analysis of PCB indicator congeners in a sample of seal blubber.