Analysis for 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin Residues in Environmental Samples

Small scale environmental monitoring studies have been conducted to quantitatively determine the presence or absence of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) in fish and deer. 2,3,7,8-TCDD was detected in a concentration range of 3 to 42 parts-per-trillion (ppt) in 19 of 20 fish samples collected in the State of Michigan. Two of 27 ppt levels of 2,3,7,8-TCDD were detected in various parts of the bodies of deer which were used in a study conducted in California to determine the effects of an aerial application of 2,4,5-T. Average minimum limits of detection for these analyses were: fish, 3 ppt; deer, 2 ppt. The analytical methodology, criteria for confirmation of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and the results of each study are discussed.