Analysis of polychlorinated biphenyl residues in human plasma by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of seven polychlorinated biphenyl residues in plasma by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed. The analytes were isolated from human plasma by liquid-liquid extraction, followed by solid-phase extraction, and separation on an HP5 Trace column. Ionization mode was electronic impact, and selected ion storage was used for isolation and quantitation of the compounds. The method was evaluated for its analytical performances and therefore applied to monitor the prevalence of these seven polychlorinated biphenyl residues in a female population. Eighty samples were analyzed, and 82.5% presented detectable amounts of at least one residue. For the population study, results were reported on a lipid-adjusted basis. Because the proposed method is satisfying and seems to be suitable for the quantitation of PCB congeners in a general population, epidemiological studies to evaluate the widespread contamination with these environmental compounds can be proposed.