title: Estimates of total polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds in soils/sediments by hydrogenolysis to dicyclohexyl.
abstract: A method to determine the total PCB content by hydrogenolysis (hydrodechlorination and hydrogenation) of chlorinated biphenyl compounds was extended to natural particulate matrices (soil and sediment). The contaminated soil was suspended in hexane in the presence of Pd/gamma-Al2O3 in a hydrogen atmosphere then permitted to react for one hour at 65 degrees C. Dicyclohexyl, recovered in the hexane, was quantified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The reaction was very efficient for soil/sediment in hexane suspension and virtually complete provided that excess catalyst was added to samples that were burdened with higher PCB loadings prior to reaction otherwise some partial hydrogenation of biphenyl was also observed. The proposed method was validated with the analysis of five certified reference materials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Macdonald Campus of McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada H9X 3V9.
authors.forename: Sadia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ehsan
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Prasher
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Marshall
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D006586:Hexanes / Q000032:analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006586:Hexanes; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls