Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) are used as flame retardants in diverse products such as textiles, circuit boards, and computer covers. Through the disposal of those products in landfills, PBDEs have found their way into the environment. Studies have shown that PBDEs have detrimental health effects. This application note describes the development of suitable gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, gas chromatography micro electron capture detection, and gas chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry methods to analyze PBDEs. The Agilent DB-XLB is the column of choice for this demanding analysis. The detection limit with micro electron capture detector was 100 ppt for most congeners.
This document details the analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are flame retardants found in the environment. It addresses the challenges of detecting these compounds due to their high boiling points and low thermal stability.
The note evaluates the Agilent DB-XLB column, a proprietary low-polarity stationary phase, alongside the DB-35ms column. It demonstrates that the DB-XLB provides excellent baseline separation of critical PBDE congeners in approximately 20 minutes using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The document also covers detection using micro electron capture detection (1ECD) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
| Detection limit (1ECD) | 100 ppt for most congeners |
|---|---|
| Carrier gas | Helium at 38 cm/s |
| Oven temperature program | 100 C for 1 min; 100 C to 340 C at 20 C/min, 340 C for 12 min |
The Agilent DB-XLB is the column of choice for this demanding analysis.
The study evaluated mass selective detector (MSD), micro electron capture detector (1ECD), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).