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Rapid and simplified method for the analysis of polychloronaphthalene congener distributions in environmental and human samples by gas chromatography coupled to negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry.

Carrizo D, Grimalt JO

Department of Environmental Chemistry (IIQAB-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

A method for the analysis of congener-specific polychloronaphthalene mixtures in sediments and human sera based on combined applications of gas chromatography coupled to negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry (GC-NICI-MS) is described. Separation, identification and quantification of the constituent congeners is achieved in both types of samples. Besides the octa- and heptachloronaphthalenes the method allows the identification of 9 hexachloronaphthalene congeners, 12 pentachloronaphthalenes and 8 tetrachloronaphthalenes. Detection and quantification limits were in the order of 0.4-0.7 ng g-1 dry weight and 0.9-1.3 ng g-1 dry weight in sediments, respectively, and 0.06-0.11 ng mL-1 and 0.18-0.21 ng mL-1 in human sera, respectively. Application of the method to study the distributions of these compounds nearby a chlor-alkali plant located at the shore of the Ebro River has shown that whereas the most chlorinated compounds, octachloronaphthalene and the two heptachloronaphthalenes were dominant in the sediments, tri-, tetra-, penta- and hexachloronaphthalenes were the most abundant congeners found in human sera.

Published 5 June 2006 in J Chromatogr A, 1118(2): 271-7.
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