Ask The Expert Webinar Series The Analysis of Dioxins and Dioxin-Like Compounds Eric Redman Director of Technical Services
Outline Introduction to Dioxins and Furans Nomenclature Sources Hazards, Toxicity, & Regulatory Status Dioxin-like Compounds Analysis of Dioxins and Furans Sampling, Preservation, and Holding Times Screening Techniques Comparative Summary
Outline (continued) Data Interpretation Detection Limits Toxic Equivalency Calculations Total Dioxin/Furans Forensic Assessments TestAmerica Capabilities
What s in a Name? Many different terms are used interchangeably to describe the this chemical family of compounds Dioxin TCDD PCDD/PCDF Dioxins/Furans D/Fs Dioxin-like 2378s
More Names Congeners- similar composition and structure (210 D/Fs) Homologs- D/Fs with the same number of chlorines Isomers- identical composition, but different structure 2378s- Isomers with chlorines in the 2,3,7, & 8 positions; generally considered the most toxic
Sources of Dioxins Industrial processes & uses involving chlorine chemistry PCB manufacture and use Bleaching of paper products Herbicide/pesticide production Wood treatment products Production of PVC Use and production of inks/dyes Smelting/recycling of metals Production of chlorine Emissions have declined dramatically, but local and legacy impacts remain
More Sources Combustion & incineration MSW/hazardous/medical waste incinerators Cement kilns Boilers/industrial furnaces Motor vehicle emissions Fossil fuel power plants Backyard burning Natural sources include forest fires, volcanic eruptions, and sedimentary deposits
Toxicity Highly studied cellular mechanism still not completely understood Health impacts may include endocrine disruption, neurological disorders, cancer promotion/induction, reproductive & immune deficiencies, and liver toxicity Some health impacts may occur at dosage levels close to background
Hazards Persistent, toxic & bioaccumulative 80-90% of human exposure through food Average US intake ~ 120 pg TEQ/day Draft TDI = 75 pg
Regulatory Status Regulated under CWA, RCRA, CAA, SDWA, CERCLA, TSCA, FIFRA at various emission limits and cleanup goals Discharge permit limits vary by state down to 0.0006 pg/l Drinking water MCLG set to zero, MCL at 30 pg/l by EPA State fish advisory limits ~ 0.1 pg/g for 1 meal/week Residential cleanup goals set at 1.0 ng/g Toxic Reduction Programs and TMDL studies underway in many States EPA s Dioxin Reassessment (now final) provides basis to refine current regulations
Dioxin-Like Compounds Many other compounds with similar structures possess Dioxinlike characteristics Coplanar PCBs Comparable TEQ to Dioxins in many samples Chlorinated Naphthalenes (Halowax) Brominated Flame Retardants (BDEs, PBBs, BBPA) Brominated Dioxins/Furans Non-2378 Dioxin/Furan Isomers Regulatory and analytical framework exists for some of these and under development for others
Analytical Methodology 8290/1613 for definitive, ultra-trace determinations DL ~1 pg/l in water & ~0.1 pg/g in soil Full isotope dilution (13C-labeled compounds) HRMS in exact mass mode Applicable to many matrices, including tissue and air 8280/613 for investigation & characterization DL ~100 pg/l in water & ~1 ng/g in soil Partial isotope dilution LRMS in SIM mode Soil, water, and waste
Sampling Considerations and Holding Times Pre-cleaned glass containers w/ Teflon liner 2 X 1L AG jar for water, 4 oz. (100g) AG jar for solids Do not rinse w/ sample or filter Protect from light, store and ship at 4 C Reduce residual chlorine, if present Holding Times for 8280/8290 30 days from collection to prep recommended Methods state up to 1 year w/ proper storage 7-day holding time in some states for drinking water Method 1613 specifies 1 year to prep
High Resolution Mass Spectrometer
What Does it Look Like? ESA 1 ESA 2
Advantages of High Resolution Analysis A target analyte s exact mass is highly characteristic of its identity Mass resolution measures the ability of the instrument to isolate and detect a particular exact mass Triple sector instruments operate at mass resolution of ~10,000 (high) vs ~100 (low) for quadrupole instruments. High Res analyses are nominally 100 times better at filtering interferences than conventional Low Res analyses High Res analyses offer improved sensitivity, selectivity, and ruggedness for a wide variety of parameters
Triple Quad Mass Spec What is it? What are the Advantages? TQMS is a viable alternative to HRMS TQMS advantages vs HRMS Linear, reproducible and accurate Meets EU legislation for food/feed export Results are ±10% to HRMS for most matrices Sensitivity not quite as good, but close Reduced costs Increases analytical capacity Equipment takes less maintenance
Dioxin Screening Methods Method 4025 Immuno assay Method 4425 Reporter gene assay Method 4430 PCR assay Method 4435 CALUX Bioassay
Bioassay Screens CALUX (mouse) and HRGS (human) are currently used, mostly for food exports Both respond to all dioxin-like parameters in the sample, including naturally occurring CALUX HRGS GC-MS 0.62 0.64 CALUX 0.43 GC-MS 0.72 0.5 CALUX 0.35
Correlation Results Bioassay results show much larger values than GC-MS TEQs for 29 compounds. Bioassays measure biological activity, not analyte concentrations. Good yes/no correlation, poor quantitative accuracy Courtesy Simon Litton, NYDEC
HRMS Screen it s a better option Numerous options are available to clients, regulators and investigators TestAmerica has developed a modified version of Method 8290 to provide a HRMS-based option rapid and inexpensive includes both TEQ and analyte-specific reporting MS screen results correlate highly (CC >.999) with full 8290 or 1613 analyses
MS Screen Applications Initially envisioned for food industry and related applications.demand still limited Large scale applications at remote sites with many Dioxin samples at potentially variable levels
Method Comparison MS 8290 1613 8280 Screen Detection Limit TCDD (ppt) 0.10.10 1 ~10 HRGC HRGC HRGC HRGC Instrumentation HRMS HRMS LRMS HRMS Quantitation Partial Isotope Full Isotope Partial Isotope Internal Standard Dilution Dilution Dilution
So Many Limits Estimated Detection Limit (EDL)- Calculated for each sample, based on noise levels for ND analytes. Lowest reportable detection limit and most relevant to Dioxins. Reporting Limit- RL is equal to the lowest standard. Positives > RL reported without qualifiers. Estimated Maximum Possible Concentration (EMPC)- Calculated DL when peak fails to meet identification criteria Method Detection Limit (MDL)- Statistically derived on annual basis, not generally relevant to Dioxin analysis. Threshold Detection Limit (TDL)- Concentration above which positives are reported (J). Lower values may be artifacts, not reproducible, or unreliable. Equals 1/2 the RL
EDL Calculation EDL = 2.5xN/H(is) X M(is)/M(s) x 1/RRF
Toxic Equivalency Calculations PARAM WHO94 WHO98 2,3,7,8-TCDD 1 1 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD 0.5 1 1,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDD 0.1 0.1 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD 0.1 0.1 1,2,3,7,8,9-HxCDD 0.1 0.1 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD 0.01 0.01 OCDD 0.001 0.0001 2,3,7,8-TCDF 0.1 0.1 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDF 0.05 0.05 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF 0.5 0.5 1,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDF 0.1 0.1 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDF 0.1 0.1 2,3,4,6,7,8-HxCDF 0.1 0.1 1,2,3,7,8,9-HxCDF 0.1 0.1 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF 0.01 0.01 1,2,3,4,7,8,9-HpCDF 0.01 0.01 OCDF 0.001 0.0001 Analyte concentrations (2378s only) are multiplied by the TEF TEQ for all analytes are summed to generate a single value Two different factor sets can generate very different results for some samples ND results are also included according to 1 of 3 conventions: ND = 0, ND = DL, ND = 1/2 DL
A Wealth of Information TEQ- This single value characterizes the sample toxicity 2378-substituted isomers provide more details on toxic contributions Total Dioxin/Furans per homolog group - sum of all isomers with the same level of chlorination, and provides characteristic profiles Isomer patterns within a homolog group - unique to a particular source and invaluable for forensics
0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 0.45 0.4 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 0.05 0 0.45 0.4 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 0.05 0 0.45 0.4 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 0.05 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 NAK - 2/17/99-0.78 pg/l NAK - 11/17/98-1.2 pg/l NAK - 7/8/99-2.9 pg/l 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 0 MILLCR - 4/26/01-5 pg/l MILLCR - 5/13/98-17 pg/l PRMS - 11/13/98-1 pg/l PRMS - 2/3/99-3.4 pg/l PRMS - 6/27/00-7.5 pg/l PRMS - 6/17/99-30 pg/l FKEFF - 3/20/01-0.6 pg/l 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 RARB - 11/16/98-0.14 pg/l RARB - 7/12/99-0.16 pg/l RARB - 2/24/99-0.2 pg/l 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 0.45 0.4 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 0.05 0 Forensic Assessments 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 NEWB - 1/27/99-0.89 pg/l NEWB - 11/25/98-1.1 pg/l NEWB - 8/11/99-1.8 pg/l 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 LOWB - 7/28/99-0.055 pg/l LOWB - 3/2/99-0.14 pg/l LOWB - 12/3/98-0.15 pg/l 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 0.45 0.4 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 0.05 0 0.45 0.35 0.25 0.15 0.05 0.45 0.4 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 0.05 0.45 0.4 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 0.05 0 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 0 BRBG - 10/29/98-0.2 pg/l BRBZ - 10/26/99-0.16 pg/l BRBZ - 7/27/99-0.38 pg/l BRBZ - 3/8/99-0.42 pg/l 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 26WSTP - 9/20/00-0.15 pg/l 26WSTP - 6/11/01-0.19 pg/l 26WSTP - 6/18/01-0.25 pg/l 26WSTP - 1/27/99-0.62 pg/l 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 UPB - 12/15/98-0.19 pg/l UPB - 8/11/99-0.28 pg/l UPB - 3/18/99-0.41 pg/l NCSTP - 4/30/01-0.21 pg/l NCSTP - 1/5/00-0.52 pg/l NCSTP - 5/21/01-0.55 pg/l 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Courtesy Simon Litton, NYDEC
Tetrafuran Isomer Patterns from Agent Orange Source Peaks at 12 and13 min characteristic of 245-T herbicide formulations
Tetrafuran Isomer Patterns from Incineration Source Thermodynamic distribution of isomers is characteristic of combustion
TestAmerica Sacramento and Knoxville Full service labs specializing in service, quality, innovation & value Special Expertise includes- Dioxins/Furans & PCB Congeners Explosives & Specialty Energetics Perchlorate by LC/MS/MS Ambient Air Analyses Sediment/Biologicals Source Testing PFAS Testing
TestAmerica Dioxin Capabilities 10 instruments dedicated to Dioxin analyses 9 State-of-the-Art HRMS instruments Analytical and Project Management staff with unsurpassed qualifications and commitment Capacity > 1500 Dioxin tests per month
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