Analysis of pesticides and PCBs in waste wood and house dust

The use of the pesticides – DDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane) and lindane (gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane) – and of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) has been limited or forbidden for several decades. Nevertheless, due to their persistence and bioaccumulative potentials they are still ubiquitous in the environment. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to determine analytical methods to analyse the pesticides lindane and DDT, its metabolites DDD (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane) and DDE (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethene), and PCBs in waste wood and house dust. An ultrasonic extraction was performed followed by a sample clean up by filtration or silica gel column. The prepared samples were measured by GC/MS. Quantification through internal standard calibration delivered low limits of detection. Specific amounts of the target compounds were detected in all analysed dust samples. The comparison of the contamination between dust samples of eastern Germany (former German Democratic Republic – GDR) and western Germany partly revealed significant differences of the contamination levels. Furthermore, it was examined whether older wooden material might cause a constant volatilisation of pesticides in apartments. Waste wood samples of different contamination categories were analysed. Apparently, these samples are potentially responsible for a constant DDX (Σ(DDT, DDD, DDE)) and lindane volatilisation, but not for PCBs.