GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS IN A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT, BROMKAL 70-5DE

Thirty-one brominated diphenyl ether (BDE) standards have been used fo r identification and quantification of unknown congeners in the techni cal flame-retardant, Bromkal 70-5DE, using relative retention versus d echlorane and standard additions on four different high-resolution gas chromatography capillary columns with low-polar to very polar propert ies. Nine new BDE congeners were identified. Eight of these were also quantified as mass percent of the product: 2,2',4,4',6-pentaBDE (6.8%) , 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexaBDE (3.9%), 2,2',4,4',5,6'-hexaBDE (2.5%), 2,2',3 ,4,4'-pentaBDE (1.6%), 2,2',3,4,4',5'-hexaBDE (0.41%), 2,3',4,4'-tetra BDE (0.22%), 2,4,4'-triBDE (0.11%) and 2,2',4-triBDE (0.022%). The nin th congener was 2,2',3,4,4',5',6-heptaBDE, The two previously identifi ed BDE congeners in Bromkal 70-5DE, 2,2',4,4'-tetraBDE and 2,2',4,4',5 -pentaBDE constituted 35% and 37%, respectively, in this batch. (C) 19 98 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.