Gas chromatographic identification and quantification of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in a commercial product, Bromkal 70-5DE

Thirty-one brominated diphenyl ether (BDE) standards have been used for identification and quantification of unknown congeners in the technical flame-retardant, Bromkal 70-5DE, using relative retention versus dechlorane and standard additions on four different high-resolution gas chromatography capillary columns with low-polar to very polar properties. Nine new BDE congeners were identified. Eight of these were also quantified as mass percent of the product: 2,2',4,4',6-pentaBDE (6.8%), 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexaBDE (3.9%), 2,2',4,4',5,6'-hexaBDE (2.5%), 2,2',3,4,4'-pentaBDE (1.6%), 2,2',3,4,4',5'-hexaBDE (0.41%), 2,3',4,4'-tetraBDE (0.22%), 2,4,4'-triBDE (0.11%) and 2,2',4-triBDE (0.022%). The ninth congener was 2,2',3,4,4',5',6-heptaBDE, The two previously identified BDE congeners in Bromkal 70-5DE, 2,2',4,4'-tetraBDE and 2,2',4,4',5-pentaBDE constituted 35% and 37%, respectively, in this batch. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.