Differeniation of Aroclors in environmental samples using negative ion chemical ionization (NICI) mass spectrometry

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5552950

Ma, C Y; Bayne, C K; Maskarinec, M P

Environmental samples suspected of containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and analyzed by EPA Method 8080 frequently contain non-PCB components, such as phthalates, PAH's, or organochlorine pesticides. The presence of these interferences can often obscure the GC/ECD patterns and cause problems in differentiating the Aroclor types by visual inspection. Since Method 8080 requires the identification of Aroclor types in order to trace the sources of PCB occurrences, NICI detection was used to provide additional parameters for discriminating PCB congeners from interferences. In this study, a pattern recognition method has been developed to classify the types of Aroclors for environmental samples. A computer program written in BASIC has been implemented to facilitate Aroclor classification using the NICI ion abundance measurement for PCB congeners. NICI measurements on Aroclor standards were used as training data set to develop classification methods for environmental samples. PCB contaminated oil or soil samples were either extracted of diluted with hexane and analyzed in the same manner as the standards. This sequential classification method classified all Aroclors in the training set correctly. A set of 15 environmental samples with known Aroclor types were also correctly classified.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5552950
• Report Number(s): CONF-9105181-12; ON: DE91013411
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400102* -- Chemical & Spectral Procedures
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIONS
AROMATICS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
IONS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MATERIALS
MONITORING
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY