Silicic acid chromatographic separation of polychlorinated biphenyls and pesticides: some contaminants and limitations.

The Armour and Burke method for separating polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from pesticides involves the use of silicic acid. However, we detected di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, PCBs, and other impurities as interfering contaminants in several batches of silicic acid. The presence of H2SO4 in some batches of silicic acid is inferred. The acid may be responsible for the production of contaminants which interfere in gas-liquid chromatographic analyses. Contaminants in silicic acid are reduced by extracting the adsorbent with solvent, and/or partitioning the concentrated pesticide fraction with 1N NaOH. These purification procedures provide separations relatively free of impurities, but result in reduced adsorbent activity. PCB-pesticide separations are reproducible only within a given batch lot of silicic acid because of the varying adsorbent characteristics of each lot. Alternative adsorbents should be explored for most PCB-pesticide separations.