Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) belong to a broad family of synthetic organic chemicals known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. In the United States, PCBs were produced from 1929 until their manufacture was banned in 1979.Although all 209 of the PCB congeners can be synthesized, only about 130 individual congeners have been identified in commercial PCB mixtures at concentrations ≥ 0.05%. The method reported here is applicable for the determination of 32 of the 209 possible PCB congeners in soils, including the dioxin-like PCB (“non-ortho”,“mono-ortho PCB”, and “di-ortho PCB”).
A number of EPA methods exist for the analysis of PCBs. This method looks at the 19 compounds referred to in EPA method 8082a using a Thermo Scientific TraceGOLD TG-5MS GC column.
