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A METHOD FOR THE SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS OF POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBS) IN AMBIENT AIR
Citation:
Stratton, C., S. Whitlock, AND J. Allan. A METHOD FOR THE SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS OF POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBS) IN AMBIENT AIR. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/4-78/048 (NTIS PB288410), 1978.
Description:
A method was developed for the sampling and analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in air. An easily constructed, high-volume sampling system is employed with porous polyurethane foam as the collection medium. The sample is collected at the rate of 0.6 to 1.0 cu m per minute. Laboratory procedures described in this document permit the quantitative analysis of even the most volatile PCB species in an air sample. A perchlorination technique for the quantitative analysis of PCB has been adapted for use. The technique is shown to convert even the most volatile PCB species to decachlorobiphenyl for simple and direct quantitative analysis. Data is presented to show conversion efficiencies of a variety of PCBs to decachlorobiphenyl of 101 + or - 6 percent over the range of 0.103 to 10.0 micrograms. A ruggedness test was conducted which indicates the proposed perchlorination technique can yield reliable interlaboratory results. The perchlorination technique is generally necessary for the analysis of low (i.e., less than 25 ng/cu m airborne levels of PCB. The analytical method is effective for the analysis of airborne PCB levels within at least the range of 1 ng/cu m to 50 micrograms/cu m. (Portions of this document are not fully legible)