Standards Development

Scope

This document specifies a method for the determination of selected polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE) (see Figure 1 and Table 1) in sediment, suspended particulate matter and biota using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS or GC-HRMS) in the electron impact (EI), negative ion chemical ionization (NCI) or atmospheric pressure ionization (APCI) mode.

Please see draft for Figure 1 — General structure of polybrominated diphenyl ethers

The method is applicable to sediment and suspended particulate matter samples with limits of quantification of 0,2 µg/kg dry weight (dw) for BDE-28 to BDE-183, of 2 µg/kg dry weight (dw) for BDE‑209.

The method is applicable as well with lower limits of quantification (LOQ), if specific clean-up methods, described in Clause 10, Table 3, method 1 and method 2 in combination with measurement methods GC-MS/MS or GC-HRMS after electron impact ionization (El) or negative ion chemical ionization (NCI) for BDE-209 are used. Depending on the analytical capability of the instrument limits of quantification down to 0,003 µg/kg dw for BDE-28 to BDE-154 and 0,02 µg/kg dw for BDE-183 and 1 µg/kg dw for BDE-209 and lower are possible.

The method is applicable to biota samples with limits of quantification down to 0,000 2 µg/kg fresh weight (fw) (BDE-28 to BDE-154) and 0,03 μg/kg fresh weight (fw) (BDE-183), if specific clean-up methods, described in Table 4 in combination with measurement methods GC-MS/MS or GC-HRMS after electron impact ionization (El) are used.

Please see draft for Table 1 — PBDE congeners determined by this method