Method development for determination of polyhalogenated carbazoles in industrial waste through gas chromatography/triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

Rationale Polyhalogenated carbazoles (PHCZs) are dioxin-like compounds that are ubiquitous in the environment. However, their unintentional emissions from industrial sources have received little attention and there is no method available for determination of PHCZs in industrial waste. This research develops a method for determination of PHCZs in industrial waste. Methods In this research, a glass column packed with activated silica serves as a rapid and efficient clean-up pretreatment for purification. An isotope dilution gas chromatography/triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry method was established for simultaneous determination of eleven PHCZs in industrial samples. Results The regression coefficients of the standard curves for the congeners were all >0.99. The method detection limit ranged from 1.46 to 3.82 ng/mL for liquid samples and from 0.009 to 0.021 ng/g for solid samples. The precision described by the relative standard deviation ranged from 2.4% to 18.4% for liquid samples and from 5.5% to 35.8% for solid samples. The recovery ranges for the liquid and solid samples were 82%-123% and 83%-137%, respectively. 3-Chlorocarbazole (3-CCZ) and 36-dichlorocarbazole (36-CCZ) can be detected in both chemical bottom liquid from vinyl chloride production and fly ash from medical waste incineration by this method. Conclusions An efficient method is established for determination of PHCZs from industrial waste. The discovery of 3-CCZ and 36-CCZ highlights the importance of identification of potential industrial sources of PHCZs and clarification of their contribution to environmental risks. Our method could be applied to investigate industrial emission of PHCZs.