What is BS EN 17322 about?
BS EN 17322 discusses environmental solid matrices. BS EN 17322 specifies methods for the quantitative determination of seven selected polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB28, PCB52, PCB101, PCB118, PCB138, PCB153 and PCB180) in soil, sludge, sediment, treated biowaste, and waste using GC-MS and GC-ECD.
Sludge, waste and treated biowaste may differ in properties, as well as in the expected contamination levels of PCB and presence of interfering substances. These differences make it impossible to describe one general procedure. BS EN 17322 contains decision tables based on the properties of the sample and the extraction and clean-up procedure to be used.
BS EN 17322 is developed by merging of EN 16167:2018+AC:2019, initially elaborated as a CEN Technical Specification in the European project 'HORIZONTAL' and validated by CEN/TC 400 with the support of BAM, with EN 15308, published by CEN/TC 292.
Note: The method can be applied to the analysis of other PCB congeners not specified in the scope, provided suitability is proven by proper in-house validation experiments.
Who is BS EN 17322 for?
BS EN 17322 on environmental solid matrices is useful for:
- Marine biologists
- Water and wastewater treatment plants
- Researchers involved in soil sciences
- Analytical laboratories involved in soil sciences
- Ecologists and conservationists
Why should you use BS EN 17322?
As a responsible organization, you put efforts to minimize environmental damage that results from your activities. PCB have been widely used as additives in industrial applications where chemical stability has been required. This stability on the other hand creates environmental problems when PCB are eventually released into the environment. Since some of these PCB compounds are highly toxic, their presence in the environment (air, water, soil, sediment, and waste) is regularly monitored and controlled.
BS EN 17322 does not contain one single possible way of working. Several choices are possible, in particular relating to clean-up. Detection with both MS-detection and ECD-detection is possible. Two different extraction procedures are described, and 9 clean-up procedures are discussed. The use of internal and injection standards is described to have an internal check on the choice of the extraction and clean-up procedure. BS EN 17322 gives you options to determine and clean up PCB levels that result from your production process.
