US EPA

2159741 

Journal Article 

Thin-layer chromatography of polychlorinated biphenyls 

Devos, RH; Peet, EW 

1971 

Yes 

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
ISSN: 0007-4861
EISSN: 1432-0800 

6 

2 

164-170 

English 

5005165 

10.1007/BF01540100 

WOS:A1971J170500013 

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) have been recognized as being industrial pollutants of the environment. Their presence in the form of residues in wildlife samples was first reported in Sweden in 1966 (I) and later in several other European countries and in North America.

PCB's have a tendency to accumulate in fatty animal tissues as for instance p,p'-DDE. They are not pesticides, but can be determined according to the usual analytical methods for detecting organochlorine insecticides. Until now only gas chromatography has been reported in the literature as a technique for separating the various components of the complicated mixtures represented by the PCB's (2,3,4,5).

Thin-layer chromatography is a useful technique in pesticide residue analysis for the qualitative confirmation of results obtained by means of gas chromatography. When an often used TLC system like aluminum oxide/hexane is applied, however, very little information is obtained about the composition of the PCB residue. Only a diffuse and rather long-drawn spot is found with an approximate R.-value between 0.6 and 0.8.

So far no TLC system was available that is particularly suitable for satisfactory separation of individual PCB compounds. Reversed-Fhase partition TLC (utilizing a non polar stationary phase and a polar mobile phase) is used for resolving closely related lipophilic materials, such as homologous series of fatty acids. We have found that this technique can be applied in separating closely related components in PCB mixtures. Details of the method, which was worked out for this purpose, are given below.