Скачать или смотреть Tracking Toxic PCBs in River Water using Gas Chromatography–Electron Capture Detection

In this episode of Concentrating on Chromatography, David speaks with Francis Femi Oloy about using chromatography to uncover hidden pollutants in real-world water systems.

Femi’s team analyzed polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in six major rivers in southwestern Nigeria — compounds that were banned decades ago but still persist in the environment. Using a workflow that many analytical labs will recognize — liquid–liquid extraction, cleanup, rotary evaporation, nitrogen blowdown, and GC-ECD detection — they quantified 25 PCB congeners at trace levels and linked the results to ecological and human health risk.

📌 In this conversation, we cover:
• Why legacy pollutants like PCBs still show up today
• Choosing GC-ECD vs LC-MS for halogenated compounds
• Liquid–liquid extraction and matrix cleanup strategies
• Why sample concentration is critical for dilute environmental samples
• How rotovap + nitrogen blowdown work together without losing volatile analytes
• Seasonal trends (why wet season levels were higher)
• Translating concentration data into meaningful risk assessments

This episode is perfect for anyone working in:
Chromatography • Environmental analysis • Sample prep • Trace analysis • GC methods • Analytical chemistry

If you enjoy practical discussions about real laboratory workflows and how chromatography solves real problems, subscribe to Concentrating on Chromatography.

🔬 Paper discussed: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in rivers of Southwestern Nigeria: sources, seasonal distribution, and assessment of human health risks

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