Influence of PBDEs in an analytical method for PBDDs/PBDFs by high-resolution GC/MS

In the near future, poly brominated dibenzo-p-dioxins(PBDDs) and poly-brominated dibenzofurans(PBDFs) will produce a big environ mental problem, as in the case of poly-chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins(PCDDs) and poly chlorinated dibenzofurans(PCDFs). Therefore, the establishment of an analysis method for PBDDs and PBDFs is very important and urgently necessary. However, the necessary information is insufficient. We studied the interfering influence of polybrominated-diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are generally used as brominated frame retardants, upon PBDFs by HRGC/HRMS analysis. As a result, we ascertained that PBDEs disturb PBDFs on a SIM chromatograph due to a similar structural formula. Therefore, PBDEs should be removed from the sample during sample clean-up and simultaneously detected with PBDD and PBDFs by an HRGC/HRMS analysis.