LOADING CAPACITY AND CHROMATOGRAPHIC BEHAVIOR OF A POROUS GRAPHITIC CARBON COLUMN FOR POLYCHLORINATED-BIPHENYLS

A porous graphitic carbon column (Hypercarb) was used for the fraction ation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into classes of 2-4 ortho ch lorines, 1 ortho chlorine and 0 ortho chlorine congeners. A method was developed that combined the fractionation of PCBs, polychlorinated di benzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in a variety of biotic environmental samples. Many of these samples have high concentrations of PCBs which cause fractionation problems as adsorption sites on the graphitic sur face are occupied. The loading capacity of the column for PCBs aias de termined by injecting up to 1 mg of total PCBs and monitoring changes in chromatographic behavior of tetra-/di-ortho, mono-ortho and non-ort ho substituted PCBs. Effective loading capacities were I mg for tetra- /di-ortho PCBs, but only 3-5 mu g for non-ortho PCBs and about 2 mu g for mono-ortho PCBs. Loading capacity of the PGC column for environmen tal fish and avian egg samples was determined to depend on the mono-or tho and non-ortho PB levels found in these samples. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science BSI. All rights reserved.