PCB Congeners

Eurofins Environment Testing has supported the analysis of PCB congeners in air, water, soil and sediment for over 25 years. We have worked with clients and agencies to develop methods with differing levels of sensitivity and selectivity, to meet the program requirements of projects ranging from source emissions to ambient air monitoring to complex sediment investigations. Capitalizing on over 30 years of experience in organic extractions, we’ve built a laboratory dedicated to the challenges involved with preparing PCB congeners samples.

Our credentials include NELAP accreditation from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for the analysis of PCB congeners in water and solid samples by EPA Method 1668. 

Why Choose Eurofins?

• Over 30 years of experience in trace residue extractions and analyses
• Expertise in sample cleanup and fractionation techniques
• Dedicated Thermo Scientific DFS high-resolution gas chromatographs/high-resolution mass spectrometers (HRGC/HRMS) for trace residue analysis
• Dedicated, isolated laboratory space for the extraction and analysis of ppt and ppq concentrations
• Extensive experience in providing various deliverable formats, both electronic and physical, to summarize analytical and quality control results

Why is PCB Congener Testing Important to You?

PCBs are persistent environmental pollutants that have been extensively studied and shown to bioaccumulate in the environment. They are considered carcinogenic and are known to be endocrine disruptors. Individuals can be exposed to PCBs through breathing in contaminated air, consuming contaminated food and by handling old electrical equipment that contains PCBs. Once exposed, some PCBs may change to other chemicals inside the body. These chemicals or unchanged PCBs may remain in a person’s body fat or organs for months.

PCBs were widely used as dielectric and coolant fluids in items like electrical transformers, capacitors and electric motors. They were manufactured and sold in the United States under the trade name of Aroclor. 

• Sample Preparation
  • One of the challenges of sample preparation for PCB testing is controlling environmental factors so that very low concentrations of the congeners can be reliably detected. Extensive experience with trace organic residue analysis allows Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Environmental to understand the controls needed to prepare samples for PCB testing. It has also served as a good springboard for developing this service. Liquid/liquid and Dean-Stark extractors are used to prepare samples for analysis on HRGC/HRMS. The extractions are followed by column cleanups to aid the detection of target analytes.
  • Our many testing methods for PCB congeners include GC/ECD, Method 1668 (HRMS), GC/MS, and Passive Sampling.
• Reporting
  • We offer several reporting format options to meet your specific project needs. Report formats are available that include all 209 congeners or can be customized to report any subset as needed. We can also provide the total PCBs within a homologue series (mono, di, tri, etc. through deca) as well as total PCBs.