Coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls in aroclor and kanechlor mixtures

Three congeners of coplanar PCBs (non-o-o'-chlorine-substituted polychlorinated biphenyls) were determined in representative commercial PCB preparations. The 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl was highest in Kanechlor 400 (8500 micrograms/g) and Aroclor 1248 (6060 micrograms/g) followed by Kanechlors 300, 500, and 600 and Aroclors 1242, 1254, and 1260 in that order. The toxic 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl and 3,3',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl were also detected in those mixtures. The highest concentrations of 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl were found in Kanechlor 400 (89.3 micrograms/g) and Aroclor 1248 (62.3 micrograms/g) followed by Kanechlors 500, 300, and 600 and Aroclors 1254, 1242, and 1260 in that order. The 3,3',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl was detected in all Kanechlor mixtures, with the highest concentration (1.16 micrograms/g) in Kanechlor 500. However, among Aroclor mixtures, it was detected only in Aroclor 1254 at a concentration of 0.66 micrograms/g. The importance of these toxic constituents in PCB mixtures is worth considering in view of widespread pollution of the environment by PCBs.