Dioxins and Furans Testing in Hampshire, UK
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs belongs to a group of organic compounds known as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). These compounds have toxic properties, persist in the environment, accumulate in food chains and pose a risk to human health and the environment. Due to their persistence, these chemicals have the potential to be transported across international boundaries far from their source through air, water and migratory species.
The term “Dioxins” refers to a group of 210 structurally and chemically related compounds. Out of 210 compounds, 17 congeners are extremely toxic. This is due to chlorine substitution in the 2,3,7,8-position. The most known and most toxic is 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzop-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD), with TEF set as 1. Commercial laboratories routinely screen for 17 dioxins congeners.
PCBs is a group of 209 compounds. Certain PCBs, knowns as dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (WHO 12), have similar structure and similar toxic properties to “dioxins”. The most toxic is PCB 126 with TEF set as 0.1. Seven of these 209 congeners are called “Indicator PCB” as they are present in the environment at much higher concentrations than another congeners. Commercial laboratories routinely screen for PCB-WHO12 and PCB-EC7 congeners.
In order to address the risks posed by POPs, the international community came together to conclude several agreements. Stockholm Convention, World Health Organisation (WHO) and Environmental Agencies set legislations and policies to reduce the human and environment exposure to these harmful substances. As a result of these regulations, low level of contamination has to be detected, which brings the challenge in sample preparation and instrumentation.
For decades, the analytical methods for Dioxins/Furans analysis required a mass resolution of ≥10,000. That could only be achieved by using GC/HRMS. However, those systems are expensive to buy, to maintain and require a highly specialised skill set to operate.
The expense of the instruments and deficit in skilled staff led the instrument manufactures to shift their effort towards development of another type of the instrument to support the analysis of Dioxins/Furans and PCBs.
In 2014 the EU approved the GC/MS QQQ as a suitable system for the confirmatory analysis of Dioxins/Furans and PCBs in food and feed samples (EU No 589/2014 and 709/2014).
In August 2020, SGS AXYS Method 16130 – draft method was published, approving GC/MS QQQ as a suitable system for Dioxins/Furans and PCBs analysis in environmental samples. This alternative Dioxins/Furans analysis method is already offered by the largest laboratories world-wide.
Veritas Laboratory Services Ltd, based in Bartley near Southampton, UK is the first laboratory in this country to offer Dioxins/Furans testing based on Method 16130 to its customers.
The current limit for Dioxins/Furans and PCBs set by Environmental Agency in Waste Classification (Technical Guidance WM3) for waste streams is 15ug/kg and 50mg/kg respectively. However, there is already a proposal to lower those limits to align them with limits set in EU regulation (EU 2022/2400 amending Annexes IV and V to Regulation (EU) 2019/1021) to 5ug/kg for Dioxins/Furans.
The above limit is much higher than the concentrations usually found in customer samples, therefore our methods are validated to achieve a much lower concentration range to cover the expected congener concentrations in ash, sediment, soils, sludge and waters.
We offer following suites of analysis:
• Dioxins/Furans
• Dioxins/Furans and PCB-WHO12
• Dioxins/Furans, PCB-WHO12 and EC6
In addition to the Dioxins/Furans/PCBs testing, Veritas Laboratory Services Ltd, analytical laboratory in Bartley near Southampton offers also analytical services for the full range of POPs regulated by Environmental Agency, UK.