Semi Permeable Membrane Device Reveals Indoor and Outdoor Contamination of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

Abstract

Semi Permeable Membrane Device (SPMD) was deployed on an experimental basis for five days inside an Environmental Chemistry Laboratory and two sites outside the building in Kiel, Germany to understand the time-averaged contaminant profiles and concentrations of PCBs. Multi Dimensional High Resolution Gas Chromatography-Electron Capture Detection technique and high resolution clean up techniques were employed to SPMD derived triolein samples. Air concentrations were derived from well established mass transfer coefficients or rate constants for PCBs in SPMD. PCBs profiles in indoor and outdoor samples were distinctly different, exemplified by a particle free clean-up laboratory facility where particle associated higher chlorinated congeners were absent. SPMDs revealed the ‘occupational hazard’ to workers inside the building from chemical contamination derived from both building materials and chemicals used in the laboratory. Finger printing technique using principle component analysis (PCA) revealed that PCB contamination was derived from German commercial PCB mixtures. SPMD derived air concentrations in outdoor samples resembled levels recorded by similar devices in Europe. Ultimately, a simple sampling technique in combination with high resolution analytical techniques demonstrated the uptake of more than 60 PCB congeners within a short period of time.