Congener specific analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in human blood serum from Croatia

A gas-chromatographic method on capillary columns is described for measurin g concentrations of total PCBs and of six PCB congeners, PCB-28, PCB-52, PC B-101, PCB-138, PCB-153 and PCB-180, in human blood serum. Recovery of comp ounds was evaluated, and the repeatability and reproducibility of the resul ts tested on samples analysed on the same day and over a period of two year s. The method was verified in an international AQA study in three rounds of measurements. The method was applied for the analysis of 45 serum samples collected in Zagreb, Croatia. All samples contained PCB-138 and PCB-153; th e incidence of the other congeners was between 80 and 98%.