Polychlorinated biphenyls particulate concentration

CRMs for Contaminants in Environmental Matrices For nearly two decades NIST has been involved in the development of SRMs for the determination of organic contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and chlorinated pesticides in natural environmental matrices such as fossil fuels (Hertz et al.1980 Kline et al. 1985), air and diesel particulate material (May and Wise 1984 Wise et al. 2000), coal tar (Wise et al. 1988a), sediment (Schantz et al. 1990, 1995a Wise et al. 1995), mussel tissue (Wise et al. 1991 Schantz et al. 1997a), fish oil, and whale blubber (Schantz et al. 1995b). Several papers have reviewed and summarized the development of these environmental matrix SRMs (Wise et al. 1988b Wise 1993 Wise and Schantz 1997 Wise et al. 2000). Seventeen natural matrix SRMs for the determination of organic contaminants are currently available from NIST with certified and reference concentrations primarily for PAHs, PCBs, chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofiirans (PCDFs) see Table 3.11. 

In most wastes and wastewater, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and particulate matter are found in the aqueous phase. The fraction of PCBs associated with each phase depends on the hydrophobicity. The congeners containing more chlorine substituents have a stronger tendency to associate with particulate. PCBs sorbed to surfaces such as diatomaceous earth are not oxidized by aqueous OH at an appreciable rate relative to the reaction rate of OH with solution-phase PCBs. Sedlak and Andren (1994) performed a quantitative evaluation of the effect of sorption to particulate matter on the rate of PCB oxidation by OH. The transformations of three PCB congeners — 2-monochlorobiphenyl (MClBp) 2,2, 5-trichlorobiphe-nyl (TrCIBp) and 2,2, 4,5,5 -pentachlorobiphenyl (PeCIBp) — were studied at an initial concentration of 1 pM of PCB solution. Data from the experiments were compared with predictions from quantitative kinetic models that used independently determined data on reaction rates and OH concentrations. 

Verbrugge DA, Giesy JP, Mora MA, et al. 1995. Concentrations of dissolved and particulate polychlorinated biphenyls in water from the Saginaw River, Michigan. J Great Lakes Res 21(2) 219-233. 

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