Discovery of Hydroxylated Polychlorinated Biphenyls (OH-PCBs) in Sediment from a Lake Michigan Waterway and Original Commercial Aroclors

Abstract

Hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (OH-PCBs) were measured in surficial sediment from Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal (IHSC), East Chicago, IN and five original Monsanto Aroclors. These compounds were measured using gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and certified standards that allowed us to identify 65 individual or co-eluting congeners. Concentrations in the sediment ranged from 0.20 to 26 ng/g dry weight. Profiles of most samples were similar and were dominated by mono- to penta-chlorinated OH-PCBs. Interestingly, most of the samples strongly resembled the OH-PCB profiles of Aroclors 1221, 1242, 1248 and 1254, yet 25% of OH-PCBs measured in the sediment were not detected in Aroclors. A strong positive correlation was found between ΣOH-PCB and ΣPCB (p < 0.0001) and also between many individual OH-PCB:PCB pairs (p < 0.05). Analysis of OH-PCB:PCB pairs suggest PCB degradation is unlikely as a source of OH-PCBs in IHSC sediment. We are the first to report levels of OH-PCBs in sediment and Aroclors, and our discovery is significant because it is likely that OH-PCB contamination exists in sediment anywhere that PCB contamination from Aroclors is present.

Hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls in human sera from adolescents and their mothers living in two U.S. Midwestern communities

“…PCB fractions were spiked with 0.6 ng of 13 C-labeled PCB surrogate standards and internal standards were added before instrument analysis. Samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) (Marek et al, 2013a). …”

“…Recent studies also found OH-PCBs in sediments (Marek et al, 2013a) and human waste has been proposed as a source to surface waters (Ueno et al, 2007). Our group previously demonstrated that OH-PCBs are important metabolic products of PCB 11 and PCB 3 in rats and are excreted in urine and feces (Hu et al, 2013; 2014; Dhakal et al, 2014).…”

“…Our group previously demonstrated that OH-PCBs are important metabolic products of PCB 11 and PCB 3 in rats and are excreted in urine and feces (Hu et al, 2013; 2014; Dhakal et al, 2014). OH-PCBs were present in the original Aroclors and this may have contributed OH-PCBs to sediments (Marek et al, 2013a). Thus, OH-PCBs are both metabolic products and environmental contaminants.…”

Airborne PCBs and OH-PCBs Inside and Outside Urban and Rural U.S. Schools

“…Aroclor and non-Aroclor PCBs and their hydroxylated metabolites (OH-PCBs) have been measured in people around the world including children. 2, 26–29 Although OH-PCBs are recognized as human 28, 30 and plant 31 metabolites of PCBs, they are also emerging as abiotic environmental contaminants of water, 32 sediment and Aroclors, 33 and outdoor air. 34 Exposure of school-age children to PCBs and OH-PCBs is particularly concerning because these compounds are carcinogenic to humans, 35 target the endocrine system, 36, 37 and are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders.…”

Effects of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Their Hydroxylated Metabolites (OH-PCBs) on Arabidopsis thaliana

“…2–4 It has also been suggested that OH-PCBs could be formed in the atmosphere through reaction with hydroxyl radicals or could originate from commercial formulations. 5,6 As transformation products of PCBs, OH-PCBs are widely dispersed in the environment, and they have been detected in a variety of samples, including air, water, sediments, and animal tissues. 6–8 OH-PCBs have raised environmental concerns because of their reported toxicity for a variety of organisms, sometimes even higher than the toxicity of parent PCBs.…”