Analysis of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Packaging Materials

Abstract

Polychlorinated biphenyls have been used extensively in industrial applications and are marketed in the United States under the trade name Aroclor. The recent FDA findings, which reported the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in foodstuffs, have required the development of analytical procedures for monitoring PCB contamination in food packaging materials. An analytical procedure is presented for detecting trace quantities of PCB's present in printing inks and resins which are used in the printing of food packaging materials. This procedure employs an electron capture gas chromatograph and is capable of detecting PCB's at a level below 0.3 ppm.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (Pcbs) in food

“…An analytical procedure for determination of PCBs in printing inks and ink resins is also recently outlined. 24 The problem of the interferences of PCBs with the analysis of other chlorinated pesticides has been largely overcome, but unsuspected interferences are unavoidable considering the present methodology. Also, there are many pesticides which have retention times which overlap with the PCB peaks.…”

“…Minor impurities in packaging materials, such as plasticizers, antioxidants, residual solvents, monomers, low molecular weight polymers, and impurities introduced during printing must be removed prior to analysis. 24 In addition to the Aroclors being multicomponent mixtures, their identification is further complicated by the manufacture of a variety of PCBs, each mixture differing according to the percent chlorination and having a characteristic gas chromatograph. A comparative evaluation of the gas chromatographs obtained from different Aroclors is represented in Figures 3, 4, and 5.…”

“…It is thought that this practice has inadvertently introduced PCBs into the packaging materials since recycled paper may include carbonless paper and printing ink, the two major sources of PCBs. 24 Of all the paperboard samples, greyboard offers the highest possible chance for contamination when used in food packaging. 8 Such food items as crackers, cookies, ready-toeat breakfast cereals, pretzels, chips, macaroni and noodle products, dry infant cereals, and dry prepared mixes have been reported to be contaminated from packaging materials.…”