Analytical methods for PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in environmental monitoring and surveillance: a critical appraisal
Abstract
Analytical
methods for the analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and
organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are widely available and are the
result of a vast amount of environmental analytical method development
and research on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) over the past
30–40 years. This review summarizes procedures and examines new
approaches for extraction, isolation, identification and quantification
of individual congeners/isomers of the PCBs and OCPs. Critical to the
successful application of this methodology is the collection,
preparation, and storage of samples, as well as specific quality
control and reporting criteria, and therefore these are also discussed.
With the signing of the Stockholm convention on POPs and the
development of global monitoring programs, there is an increased need
for laboratories in developing countries to determine PCBs and OCPs.
Thus, while this review attempts to summarize the current best
practices for analysis of PCBs and OCPs, a major focus is the need for
low-cost methods that can be easily implemented in developing
countries. A “performance based” process is described whereby
individual laboratories can adapt methods best suited to their
situations. Access to modern capillary gas chromatography (GC)
equipment with either electron capture or low-resolution mass
spectrometry (MS) detection to separate and quantify OCP/PCBs is
essential. However, screening of samples, especially in areas of known
use of OCPs or PCBs, could be accomplished with bioanalytical methods
such as specific commercially available enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent
assays and thus this topic is also reviewed. New analytical techniques
such two-dimensional GC (2D-GC) and “fast GC” using GC–ECD may be
well-suited for broader use in routine PCB/OCP analysis in the near
future given their relatively low costs and ability to provide
high-resolution separations of PCB/OCPs. Procedures with low
environmental impact (SPME, microscale, low solvent use, etc.) are
increasingly being used and may be particularly suited to developing
countries.
Electronic supplementary material
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