Polychlorinated biphenyls . definitely

Figure 5-16. Structure editor of the CrossFire ComiTiander V6, showing the definition ofan atom list (consisting of hydrogen and chlorine atoms) for polychlorinated biphenyls.

The system for classification and disposal of hazardous chemical waste developed by EPA under RCRA does not apply to all wastes that contain hazardous chemicals. For example, wastes that contain dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), or asbestos are regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). In addition, the current definition of hazardous waste in 40 CFR Part 261 specifically excludes many wastes that contain hazardous chemicals from regulation under RCRA, including certain wastes produced by extraction, beneficiation, and processing of various ores and minerals or exploration, development, and use of energy resources. Thus, the waste classification system is not comprehensive, because many potentially important wastes that contain hazardous chemicals are excluded, and it is not based primarily on considerations of risks posed by wastes, because the exclusions are based on the source of the waste rather than the potential risk. 

PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are widely used in the electrical industry because they have definite advantages over mineral oil, which used to be the standard insulating fluid for electrical equipment. However, since PCBs tend to be non-biodegradable and to accumulate in the tissues of living organisms, most industrialized countries have prohibited the sale of electrical equipment (transformers and capacitors, both new and used) containing this chemical. Two problems now remain what to use instead of PCBs, and how to dispose of PCBs in a way that does not harm the environment. 

The detection and quantification of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, and in particular the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD), is a major application for double-focusing magnetic-sector mass spectrometers. Despite extensive clean-up procedures, samples still contain compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls and benzyl phenyl ethers, which have the same nominal masses as the compounds of interest. The sample is spiked with a known amount of the isotope labelled form of 2,3,7,8-TCDD, introduced via gas chromatography and recorded by high-resolution mass spectrometry. The measurement is quantified by comparison of the native dioxin response to that from the C-labelled form, and verified by confirmation of the ratio of the major isotopes of both the native and the C-labelled dioxins. At 10 000 resolving power (10% valley definition) the detection level for 2,3,7,8-TCDD is about 1 femtogram, or 3 attomole (Figure 6). 

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