Determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in sewage sludges from catalonia (N.E. Spain) by high-resolution gas chromatography with electron-capture detection

A study was carried out on the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sewage sludges from Catalonia (N.E. Spain) using high-resolution gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. Aroclor 1254 and 1260 were characterized. The concentrations were between 2310 and 69 mu g/kg (dry mass). High-resolution gas chromatography coupled with low-resolution mass spectrometry was used for screening the samples. No reports of the presence of PCBs in Spanish sewage sludges have been published previously. These analyses were performed in order to establish the availability of these sludges for disposal in agricultural soils.