Characterization of PCB mixtures found in biological samples by evaluating the stability of the phenyl components towards environmental influences

Abstract

A procedure is presented which facilitates the interpretation of the great abundance of information being received from isomer specific PCB determinations. The two phenyl ring structures of the congeners are considered separately resulting in an important data reduction. Yet, preservation of information about the structure of congeners is largely achieved. Ring stability values are defined which describe the stability of the phenyl rings within PCB congeners in environmental matrices. This procedure presupposes the sufficient representation of the PCB congeners by their phenyl rings; this has to be established for every environmental PCB mixture. The dependence of the ring stabilities on the chlorine positions of various phenyl structures is discussed. The usefulness of this approach as an aid for the interpretation of environmental PCB mixtures is demonstrated by comparison of the ring stability values derived from PCB mixtures found in various species of wildlife animals.