AN AUTOMATED HPLC SEPARATION METHOD WITH 2 COUPLED COLUMNS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF PCDD FS, PCBS AND PACS/

A new automated separation method is described for the analysis of pol ychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlori nated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) and relat ed compounds in complex environmental matrices. This high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method utilises a coupled column system c onsisting of an amino column and a porous graphitic carbon (PGC) colum n and allows for elution of the columns in both directions individuall y and in combination. The method combines the group separating propert ies of the amino column with the high selectivity of the carbon column for planar aromatic compounds. The switching of the columns is made i n an automated mode and the system delivers five relevant fractions re ady for injection on GC/MS. These fractions contain /1/ aliphatic/mono aromatic compounds, /2/ polycyclic aromatic compounds, /3/ PCBs with 2 or more chlorine atoms in ortho position (di-tetra-ortho PCBs), /4/ P CBs with one chlorine atom in ortho position (mono-ortho PCBs) and /5/ non-ortho PCBs and PCDD/Fs. The HPLC separation method presented redu ces the time for analysis and improves the reproducibility.