PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) have two via single bond connected benzene rings as central structural elements with different levels of chlorination. Due to their advantageous physical / chemical properties they were used in condensers, transformers, hydraulic oils, paints and sealing compounds in the past.
Their chemical stability and worldwide use have resulted in ubiquitary contamination. They accumulate in fat tissues of animals and get into human nutrition. In old buildings PCB can still be found as highly concentrated pollution in seam sealing compounds, …
As the chemical compounds can have highly toxic effects, they are forbidden all over the world, ranking among the “Dirty Dozen”.
PCB congeners without ortho-chlorine substitution (dioxin similar PCB, di-PCB) are equal to dioxins in their toxic mechanism and regulated respectively ((EC) No. 1881/2006)
During the analysis of PCB in food generally the analyte is separated from the matrix and the extract is concentrated. For fatty samples like food gel permeation chromatography (GPC) is preferribly used.
For this purpose LCTech offers GPC systems with differing levels of automation, according to your special laboratory requirements. For PCB analysis of environmental samples following the common methods LCTech provides the FREESTYLE EVAporation.
