THE DUTCH PCB DIOXIN STUDY - DEVELOPMENT OF A METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF DIOXINS, PLANAR AND OTHER PCBS IN HUMAN-MILK

A method for the determination of dioxins, planar PCBs and other PCBs in human milk is described. The work is part of a big Dutch project, ( seven institutes participate) in which 400 human milk samples from two areas (Rotterdam and Groningen) taken at two different times (10 and 42 days) after delivery had to be analysed for planar PCBs, dioxins an d other PCBs (1st sampling) and only other PCBs (2nd sampling). Planar compounds are determined with GC/HRMS, other PCBs with GC/ECD. As typ e of analytes for Ist and 2nd sampling are different the method was fo cussed on these analytes. After fat extraction, clean up was carried o ut on GPC and alumina columns. Only in case of analysis of planar comp ounds and other PCBs, chromatography on porous graphitised carbon was carried out after which GC-HRMS (planar compounds) and GC/ECD (other P CBS) was performed; otherwise GC/ECD after alumina clean up was perfor med. The method is validated through recovery experiments with standar ds (other PCBs, labelled planar compounds), comparison of results for other PCBs obtained with the two different clean-up procedures, reprod ucibility of quality control samples'' for planar compounds and blanc chemicals.