High performance size exclusion chromatography in environmental method development. 1. The effect of mobile phase and temperature on the retention of dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls

Abstract

The thermodynamics of retention for PCBs, dioxins, and furans have been studied for a high performance size exclusion column containing a poly(styrene) stationary phase. The dioxins and furans exhibit a tendency to sorb to this relatively inert surface in the presence of chloroform and dichloromethane. The data indicate that both mobile phase and temperature can be adjusted to improve the separation of these analytes from unwanted matrix components in samples such as sediments, motor oil, and fat. The data also provide some insight into the sorption behavior of these analytes in non-polar solvents.