Isolation of planar polychlorinated biphenyls by carbon column chromatography.

A simple, sensitive, precise and specific method for the isolation of planar PCB congeners having four, five, and six chlorines in environmental samples is presented. On average, recoveries of 3,3',4,4'; 3,4,4',5; 3,3',4,4',5 and 3,3',4,4',5,5' (IUPAC No 77, 81, 126, and 169) planar PCB congeners from spiked Aroclor mixtures were 94 plus or minus 7.2, 82 plus or minus 5.4, 93 plus or minus 3.9, and 96 plus or minus 2.5%, respectively; while recoveries from spiked dolphin blubber samples were 87 plus or minus 4.0, 70 plus or minus 2.3, 91 plus or minus 2.8, and 97 plus or minus 2.3%.