title: Determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in ambient air by gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: A multiresidue method for determining 22 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in air has been developed and validated by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) using a triple quadrupole analyzer (QqQ). The method was validated in terms of both steps of sampling and analysis. The sampling method, which is based on active sampling using polyurethane foam (PUF) as adsorbent, was validated by generating standard atmospheres. The retention capacity of this sampling sorbent allows up to 5 m3 of air to be sampled without any breakthrough for most compounds. Two solvent extraction methods were compared: sonication and Soxhlet extraction with a mixture of n-hexane:diethyl ether (95:5 v/v). Both extraction methods yielded similar results, but the first one required less solvent and time. The method exhibited good accuracy (80.3-99.8%), precision (2.2-15.2%) and lower limits that allowed quantification and confirmation at levels as low as 0.008 ng/m3. Finally, the method was applied to the analysis of PCBs in the air in areas near to a municipal solid-waste landfill and directly above the refuse in the landfill, where it indicated the presence of some of the target compounds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Almería, 04071, Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martínez Ocaña
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mena Granero
authors.forename: Francisco Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Egea Gonzalez
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garrido Frenich
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Martínez Vidal
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Plaza Bolaños
mesh_terms: D000388:Air / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls