[Analytical methods for the determination of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans in human milk]

A method is described for the determination of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans in breast milk. After addition of potassium oxalate, the compounds are extracted, along with fat and other lipophilic compounds, using ethanol, ethyl ether and pentane. An aliquot of the fat is fortified with seven 13C-labelled dioxins and furans. Gel permeation chromatography on Bio-Beads S-X3 is used for removal of fat followed by column chromatography on florisil, charcoal and acid alumina. Except for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD), all other congeners are determined by combined capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry by use of negative chemical ionization employing methane as reagent gas. MS analysis is performed in the SIM mode (selected ion monitoring). For each isomer group two ions are monitored. Octachloronaphthalene is used as a syringe spike for the quantification based on a calibration run of standards. The calibration mixture, which contains the spike as well as all 2,3,7,8-chlorine substituted dioxins and furans and the 13C-labelled surrogates at a concentration level of 3-5 pg/microliters, is injected twice every day. For the determination of 2,3,7,8-TCDD a mass selective detector is used operating in electron impact mode. The MS analysis is also performed in SIM mode monitoring two ions for TCDDs and one ion for 13C-2,3,7,8-TCDD. Dependent on the level of each congener in breast milk, the coefficient of variation of the method varies between 3% for 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran and 40.9% for octachlorodibenzofuran. More than 200 human milk samples, mostly from nursing mothers living in North Rhine-Westphalia, have been analysed for residues of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorodibenzofurans.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)