Assessment of PCBs exposure in human hair using double focusing high resolution mass spectrometry and single quadrupole mass spectrometry

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) levels were assessed in human hair samples, originating from two main agricultural regions of Greece. The analysis was performed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and gas chromatography–double focusing high resolution mass spectrometry (GC–DFHRMS). The main analytical procedure involved hair decontamination, solid–liquid extraction and cleanup steps. The recoveries of PCBs ranged from 71.2% to 101.6%, with accuracies greater than 87.5% and the between-run precisions (%RSD) lower than 25% for all analytes. Differences in the frequencies of detection and the median values of PCBs were detected between the examined regions and between the applied analytical techniques. All Peloponnesus’ hair examined samples were found positive for each examined PCB, while the percentage of the total positive samples ranged from 86.1% (for PCB 138) to 94.4% (for PCB 28 and 153 congeners) using GC–DFHRMS. The Cretan hair samples were less contaminated (SUM PCBs = 0.61 and 1.47 pg/mg) unlike the Peloponnesus’ samples (SUM PCBs = 24.68 and 38.74 pg/mg) measured by GC–DFHRMS and GC–MS, respectively. PCBs with high chlorination gave lower concentration values compared to low chlorination PCBs in both populations. No significant differences were observed between women and men. The GC–DFHRMS technique provided higher percentage of positive samples and low PCBs median values, due to higher sensitivity and interferences from isobaric ions in the GC–MS technique and is therefore considered as a powerful tool for such assessments in hair specimens.

► PCBs levels were assessed in hair samples by applying GC–MS and GC–DFHRMS.
► High chlorination PCBs gave lower concentrations than low chlorination PCBs.
► The GC–DFHRMS technique provided lower PCBs median values than GC–MS technique.
► GC–DFHRMS provides more accurate and precise data for the biomonitoring of PCBs.
► Almost similar PCB hair profiles were observed between the examined populations.