Coplanar Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Aroclor and Kanechlor Mixtures

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Abstract
Three congeners of coplanar PCBs (non-0-0 -chlorine-substituted polychlorinated biphenyls) were determined in representative commercial PCB preparations. The 3,3,4,4 -tetrachlorobiphenyl was highest in Kanechlor 400 (8500 μg/g) and Aroclor 1248 (6060 μg/ 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 μg/g) and Aroclor 1248 (62.3 μg/g) followed by Kanechlors 500, 300, and 600 and Aroclors 1254,1242, and 1260 in that order. The 3,3',4,4',5,5-hexwhlorobiphenyl was detected in all Kanechlor mixtures, with the highest concentration (1.16 μg/g) in Kanechlor 500. However, among Aroclor mixtures, it was detected only in Aroclor 1254 at a concentration of 0.66 jtg/g. The importance of these toxic constituents in PCB mixtures is worth considering in view of widespread pollution of the environment by PCBs.