title: The routine analysis of some specific isomers of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in human milk.
abstract: A mixture of 14 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) isomers of various congeners, representing approximately 70% of all human milk PCBs reported in the literature, was made up to identify and approximate their residues in human milk. Individual isomer levels varied from 5 to 103 nanograms per gram of milkfat with the 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl isomer as the major PCB contaminant of human milk. PCB isomer numbers 74, 118, 153, 138 and 180 made up approximately 75% of all PCBs as measured by this mixture. There was close agreement of total PCB isomer content in breast milk between electron capture gas chromatography and gas chromatographic mass spectrometry determinations. A major interference was encountered however for PCB isomer no. 52, whose residue level in the breast milk was approximately 3 X higher by gas liquid chromatography than by mass spectrometry.
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007536:Isomerism; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000032:analysis*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D012997:Solvents
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D012997:Solvents; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls