EPA Method 1668A

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Advantages to Method 1668A:

  • The detection limits are up to one thousand times (1000x) lower than the traditional Aroclor analysis
  • There are fewer problems with matrix interferences in a complex sample
  • The identification and quantification of individual PCB congeners is more accurate than Method 8082 and its modifications
  • The quantification of the 12 toxic PCB congeners allows measurement of relative toxicity and more accurately determines the ecological risk at a site
  • The low-level PCB congener composition can be interpreted to determine the amount of aging that occurred in a complex PCB mixture
  • Aroclor concentrations can be estimated from the congener concentrations

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PCB Congeners - EPA Method 1668A
Method Reporting Limits (MRLs)

 

  Reporting Limits
PCB Congener Congener Number WATER
pg/L		 SOIL
ng/Kg		 TISSUE
ng/Kg
2-MoCB 1 200 20 20
3-MoCB 2 10 1 1
4-MoCB 3 200 20 20
2,2'-DiCB 4 500 50 50
2,3-DiCB 5 50 5 5
2,3'-DiCB 6 50 5 5
2,4-DiCB 7 50 5 5
2,4'-DiCB1 8 500 50 50
2,5-DiCB 9 50 5 5
2,6-DiCB 10 50 5 5
3,3'-DiCB 11 200 20 20
3,4-DiCB 12 100 10 10
3,4'-DiCB 13 100 10 10
3,5-DiCB 14 100 10 10
4,4'-DiCB 15 500 50 50
2,2',3-TrCB 16 100 10 10
2,2',4-TrCB 17 200 20 20
2,2',5-TrCB1 18 500 50 50
2,2',6-TrCB 19 100 10 10
2,3,3'-TrCB 20 500 50 50
2,3,4-TrCB 21 200 20 20
2,3,4'-TrCB 22 200 20 20
2,3,5-TrCB 23 200 20 20
2,3,6-TrCB 24 200 20 20
2,3',4-TrCB 25 200 20 20
2,3',5-TrCB 26 200 20 20
2,3',6-TrCB 27 200 20 20
2,4,4'-TrCB1 28 500 50 50
2,4,5-TrCB 29 200 20 20
2,4,6-TrCB 30 500 50 50
2,4',5-TrCB 31 500 50 50
2,4',6-TrCB 32 200 20 20
2',3,4-TrCB 33 200 20 20
2',3,5-TrCB 34 200 20 20
3,3',4-TrCB 35 200 20 20
3,3',5-TrCB 36 200 20 20
3,4,4'-TrCB 37 500 50 50
3,4,5-TrCB 38 200 20 20
3,4',5-TrCB 39 200 20 20
2,2',3,3'-TeCB 40 500 50 50
2,2',3,4-TeCB 41 500 50 50
2,2',3,4'-TeCB 42 200 20 20
2,2',3,5-TeCB 43 200 20 20
2,2',3,5'-TeCB1 44 500 50 50
2,2',3,6-TeCB 45 200 20 20
2,2',3,6'-TeCB 46 200 20 20
2,2',3,4'-TeCB 47 500 50 50
2,2',4,5-TeCB 48 200 20 20
2,2',4,5'-TeCB 49 500 50 50
2,2',4,6-TeCB 50 200 20 20
2,2',4,6'-TeCB 51 200 20 20
2,2',5,5'-TeCB1 52 500 50 50
2,2',5,6'-TeCB 53 200 20 20
2,2',6,6'-TeCB 54 500 50 50
2,3,3',4'-TeCB 55 500 50 50
2,3,3',4'-TeCB 56 200 20 20
2,3,3',5-TeCB 57 500 50 50
2,3,3',5'-TeCB 58 500 50 50
2,3,3',6-TeCB 59 200 20 20
2,3,4,4'-TeCB 60 500 50 50
2,3,4,5-TeCB 61 500 50 50
2,3,4,6-TeCB 62 200 20 20
2,3,4',5-TeCB 63 500 50 50
2,3,4',6-TeCB 64 200 20 20
2,3,5,6-TeCB 65 500 50 50
2,3',4,4'-TeCB1 66 500 50 50
2,3',4,5-TeCB 67 500 50 50
2,3',4,5'-TeCB 68 500 50 50
2,3',4,6-TeCB 69 500 50 50
2,3',4',5-TeCB 70 500 50 50
2,3',4',6-TeCB 71 500 50 50
2,3',5,5'-TeCB 72 500 50 50
2,3',5',6-TeCB 73 500 50 50
2,4,4',5-TeCB 74 500 50 50
2,4,4',6-TeCB 75 200 20 20
2',3,4',5-TeCB 76 500 50 50
3,3',4,4'-TeCB1,2 77 500 50 50
3,3',4,5-TeCB 78 500 50 50
3,3',4,5'-TeCB 79 500 50 50
3,3',5,5'-TeCB 80 500 50 50
3,4,4',5-TeCB2 81 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',4-PeCB 82 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',5-PeCB 83 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',6-PeCB 84 500 50 50
2,2',3,4,4'-PeCB 85 200 20 20
2,2',3,4,5-PeCB 86 500 50 50
2,2',3,4,5'-PeCB 87 500 50 50
2,2',3,4,6-PeCB 88 500 50 50
2,2',3,4,6'-PeCB 89 500 50 50
2,2',3,4',5-PeCB 90 1000 100 100
2,2',3,4',6-PeCB 91 500 50 50
2,2',3,5,5'-PeCB 92 500 50 50
2,2',3,5,6-PeCB 93 500 50 50
2,2',3,5,6'-PeCB 94 500 50 50
2,2',3,5',6-PeCB 95 500 50 50
2,2',3,6,6'-PeCB 96 500 50 50
2,2',3',4,5-PeCB 97 500 50 50
2,2',3',4,6-PeCB 98 500 50 50
2,2',4,4',5-PeCB 99 500 50 50
2,2',4,4',6-PeCB 100 500 50 50
2,2',4,5,5'-PeCB1 101 1000 100 100
2,2',4,5,6'-PeCB 102 500 50 50
2,2',4,5,6'-PeCB 103 500 50 50
2,2',4,6,6'-PeCB 104 500 50 50
2,3,3'4,4'-PeCB1,2 105 200 20 20
2,3,3',4,5-PeCB 106 500 50 50
2,3,3',4',5-PeCB 107 1000 100 100
2,3,3',4,5'-PeCB 108 500 50 50
2,3,3',4,6-PeCB 109 200 20 20
2,3,3',4',6-PeCB 110 1000 100 100
2,3,3',5,5'-PeCB 111 1000 100 100
2,3,3',5,6-PeCB 112 1000 100 100
2,3,3',5',6-PeCB 113 1000 100 100
2,3,4,4',5-PeCB1,2 114 500 50 50
2,3,4,4',6-PeCB 115 1000 100 100
2,3,4,5,6-PeCB 116 200 20 20
2,3,4',5,6-PeCB 117 200 20 20
2,3',4,4',5-PeCB1,2 118 500 50 50
2,3',4,4',6-PeCB 119 500 50 50
2,3',4,5,5'-PeCB 120 500 50 50
2,3',4,5,6-PeCB 121 500 50 50
2',3,3',4,5-PeCB 122 500 50 50
2',3,4,4',5-PeCB2 123 500 50 50
2',3,4,5,5'-PeCB 124 1000 100 100
2',3,4,5,6'-PeCB 125 500 50 50
3,3',4,4',5-PeCB1,2 126 500 50 50
3,3',4,5,5'-PeCB 127 1000 100 100
2,2',3,3',4,4'-HxCB1 128 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',4,5-HxCB 129 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',4,5'-HxCB 130 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',4,6-HxCB 131 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',4,6'-HxCB 132 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',5,5'-HxCB 133 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',5,6-HxCB 134 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',5,6'-HxCB 135 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',6,6'-HxCB 136 200 20 20
2,2',3,4,4',5-HxCB 137 1000 100 100
2,2',3,4,4',5'-HxCB1 138 500 50 50
2,2',3,4,4',6-HxCB 139 500 50 50
2,2',3,4,4',6'-HxCB 140 500 50 50
2,2',3,4,5,5'-HxCB 141 200 20 20
2,2',3,4,5,6-HxCB 142 1000 100 100
2,2',3,4,5,6'-HxCB 143 500 50 50
2,2',3,4,5',6-HxCB 144 500 50 50
2,2',3,4,6,6'-HxCB 145 1000 100 100
2,2',3,4',5,5'-HxCB 146 500 50 50
2,2',3,4',5,6-HxCB 147 500 50 50
2,2',3,4',5,6'-HxCB 148 1000 100 100
2,2',3,4',5',6-HxCB 149 500 50 50
2,2',3,4',6,6'-HxCB 150 1000 100 100
2,2',3,5,5',6-HxCB 151 500 50 50
2,2',3,5,6,6'-HxCB 152 1000 100 100
2,2',4,4',5,5'-HxCB1 153 500 50 50
2,2',4,4',5',6-HxCB 154 500 50 50
2,2',4,4',6,6'-HxCB 155 1000 100 100
2,3,3',4,4',5-HxCB2 156 500 50 50
2,3,3',4,4',5'-HxCB2 157 500 50 50
2,3,3',4,4',6-HxCB 158 200 20 20
2,3,3',4,5,5'-HxCB 159 1000 100 100
2,3,3',4,5,6-HxCB 160 500 50 50
2,3,3',4,5',6-HxCB 161 1000 100 100
2,3,3',4',5,5'-HxCB 162 1000 100 100
2,3,3',4',5,6-HxCB 163 500 50 50
2,3,3',4',5',6-HxCB 164 500 50 50
2,3,3',5,5',6-HxCB 165 1000 100 100
2,3,4,4',5,6-HxCB 166 500 50 50
2,3,4,4',5,5'-HxCB2 167 500 50 50
2,3',4,4',5',6-HxCB 168 500 50 50
3,3',4,4',5,5'-HxCB1,2 169 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',4,4',5-HpCB1 170 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',4,4',6-HpCB 171 1000 100 100
2,2',3,3',4,5,5'-HpCB 172 1000 100 100
2,2',3,3',4,5,6-HpCB 173 1000 100 100
2,2',3,3',4,5,6'-HpCB 174 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',4,5',6-HpCB 175 1000 100 100
2,2',3,3',4,6,6'-HpCB 176 1000 100 100
2,2',3,3',4',5,6-HpCB 177 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',5,5',6-HpCB 178 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',5,6,6'-HpCB 179 500 50 50
2,2',3,4,4',5,5'-HpCB1 180 500 50 50
2,2',3,4,4',5,6-HpCB 181 1000 100 100
2,2',3,4,4',5,6'-HpCB 182 1000 100 100
2,2',3,4,4',5',6-HpCB 183 1000 100 100
2,2',3,4,4',6,6'-HpCB 184 1000 100 100
2,2',3,4,5,5',6-HpCB 185 1000 100 100
2,2',3,4,5,6,6'-HpCB 186 1000 100 100
2,2',3,4,5,5',6-HpCB1 187 500 50 50
2,2',3,4',5,6,6'-HpCB 188 500 50 50
2,3,3',4,4',5,5'-HpCB2 189 500 50 50
2,3,3',4,4',5,6-HpCB 190 500 50 50
2,3,3',4,4',5',6-HpCB 191 1000 100 100
2,3,3',4,5,5',6-HpCB 192 1000 100 100
2,3,3',4',5,5',6-HpCB 193 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',4,4',5,5'-OcCB 194 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',4,4',5,6-OcCB1 195 1000 100 100
2,2',3,3',4,4',5,6'-OcCB 196 1000 100 100
2,2',3,3',4,4',6,6'-OcCB 197 1000 100 100
2,2',3,3',4,5,5',6-OcCB 198 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',4,5,5',6'-OcCB 199 500 50 50
2,2',3,3',4,5,6,6'-OcCB 200 1000 100 100
2,2',3,3',4,5',6,6'-OcCB 201 1000 100 100
2,2',3,3',5,5',6,6'-OcCB 202 1000 100 100
2,2',3,4,4',5,5',6-OcCB 203 1000 100 100
2,2',3,4,4',5,6,6'-OcCB 204 1000 100 100
2,3,3',4,4',5,5',6-OcCB 205 1000 100 100
2,2',3,3',4,4',5,5',6-NoCB1 206 1000 100 100
2,2',3,3',4,4',5,6,6'-NoCB 207 1000 100 100
2,2',3,3',4,5,5',6,6'-NoCB 208 1000 100 100
DeCB1 209 500 50 50

Based on the EML as published in Method 1668A [with corrections and revisions through 08/20/03.]
Soils are reported as dry-weight and tissues are reported as wet-weight.
1National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) congener of interest
2World Health Organization (WHO) toxic congener

MoCB = monochlorobiphenyl
DiCB = dichlorobiphenyl
TrCB = trichlorobiphenyl
TeCB = tetrachlorobiphenyl 		PeCB = pentachlorobiphenyl
HxCB = hexachlorobiphenyl
HpCB = heptachlorobiphenyl
OcCB = octachlorobiphenyl		 NoCB = nonaclorobiphenyl
DeCB = decachlorobiphenyl

Analytical testing dotsView Details on the Official EPA Method 1668A...

Learn about Testing for PCB Congeners and Aroclors...