Eg. Vandervelde et al., ANALYSIS AND OCCURRENCE OF TOXIC PLANAR PCBS, PCDDS AND PCDFS IN MILKBY USE OF CARBOSPHERE ACTIVATED CARBON, Chemosphere, 28(4), 1994, pp. 693-702
A method is described for the determination of the toxicologically rel
ated planar PCB-congeners 3,3',4,4'-tetra, 3,3',4,4',5-penta and 3,3',
4,4',5,5'-hexachloro-biphenyl, based on the former Carbosphere methodo
logy for the isomer-specific analysis of the seventeen toxic 2,3,7,8-
chlorine substituted PCDD and PCDF congeners. The method proved to be
rapid, accurate and reproducible (SD 8 %) for the analysis of low ppt
levels of planar PCBs in cow's milk. The method has been applied to th
e analysis of planar PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs in cow's milk from the vici
nity of several sources and in human milk. A level of planar PCBs in h
uman milk in the Netherlands was found of 9.2 pg TEQ/g fat. In samples
of cow's milk from the vicinity of municipal waste incinerators and a
metal reclamation plant, planar PCB levels ranged between 1.1 and 6.1
pg TEQ/g fat, whereas PCDD/Fs levels ranged between 1.3 and 12.9 pg T
EQ/g fat. The factors that may be involved in the occurrence of planar
PCBs in cow's milk are discussed in view of the presence of different
sources in combination with the influence of kinetics of the individu
al PCB congeners in the cow.