US EPA

2185975 

Journal Article 

Comparison of two cleanup procedures (Mills, Onley, Gaither vs. automated gel permeation) for residues of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in human adipose tissue 

Tessari, JD; Griffin, L; Aaronson, MJ 

1980 

Yes 

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

25 

1 

59-64 

English 

6779885 

10.1007/BF01985487 

WOS:A1980KB62100011 

The primary aim of this study was to determine if a less time consuming and more efficient cleanup procedure could be found for the residue analysis of human adipose samples. In the course of conducting analyses of several thousand adipose samples during the years for the National Human Monitoring Program, it became apparent that there existed several disadvantages in the acceptable Mills, Onley, Gaither (1963) (MOG) procedure. These disadvantages were: (I) poor recovery of some organochlorine
pesticides that do not partition adequately, (2) necessity to perform the partitioning and Florisil column chromatography steps, (3) the excessive amount of solvent used in the above mentioned steps.

Automated gel permeation chromatography (AGPC) was selected for comparison with the MOG procedure because it could be continuously utilized over a 24 h period and its cleanup efficiency has been demonstrated by other investigators (Johnson et al. 1976, Stalling et al. 1972, Tindle & Stalling 1972, Griffit & Craun 1974).

AGPC has been applied to the cleanup of human adipose tissue samples prior to pesticide residue analysis by electron capture gas-liquid chromatography. Conservation of time and materials was realized over the traditional MOG procedure by the replacement of acetonitrile partitioning and Florisil column chromatography steps with AGPC.

The recoveries of 19 organochlorine pesticides of interest and PCBs, estimated as Aroclor 1260, were at least as good as, if not better than the recoveries achieved with the MOG procedure. A comparison of 21 human adipose tissue samples prepared for analysis using both procedures is presented to demonstrate the generally high correlation. In addition, compounds that partition poorly with acetonitrile/hexane such as aldrin and hexachlorobenzene were usually recovered in better yield with gel permeation cleanup.