Trace Organic Contaminant Analyses on Various Biota Samples

The Department of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has a

requirement to undertake a series of trace organic contaminant analyses on

various biota samples from oil sands affected areas (n=159),from the Canadian

Arctic (n=130), and from the Pacific coast (n=33), that were collected as part of

high priority funded programs (including the Oil Sands Monitoring program, a

CIRNAC-funded program that is supporting a Strategic Environmental

Assessment of Baffin Bay and Davis Strait, and the Oceans Protection Plan)..

The work will involve the following: Providing data on polycyclic aromatic

compounds (PAC) (including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their

alkylated and halogenated congeners; APACs and HPACs respectively) levels in

submitted samples (n=322 frozen biota homogenates) determined by dual quad

gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) and 2D-GC (two

dimensional gas chromatography) while using an internal standard method

following fully accredited analytical laboratory methods. The list of PACs to be

reported includes, but is not limited to: 1-Methylnaphthalene, 2-Fluorobiphenyl, 2-

Methylnaphthalene, Acenaphthene, Acenaphthylene, Anthracene,

Benzo(a)anthracene, Benzo(a)pyrene, Benzo(b,j,k)fluoranthene,

Benzo(b)naphtothiophene, Benzo(e)pyrene, Benzo(ghi)perylene, C1-Chrysene,

C1-Dibenzothiophene, C1-Fluoranthene/pyrene, C1-Fluorene, C1-

Phenanthrene/anthracene, C2-Chrysene, C2-Dibenzothiophene, C2-

Fluoranthene/pyrene, C2-Fluorene, C2-Naphthalene, C2-

Phenanthrene/anthracene, C3-Chrysene, C3-Dibenzothiophene, C3-

Fluoranthene/pyrene, C3-Fluorene, C3-Naphthalene, C3-

Phenanthrene/anthracene, C4-Chrysene, C4-Dibenzothiophene, C4-

Fluoranthene/pyrene, C4-Fluorene, C4-Naphthalene, C4-

Phenanthrene/anthracene, Chrysene, Dibenzo(ah)anthracene, Fluoranthene,

Fluorene, Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, Naphthalene, Perylene, Phenanthrene,

Pyrene, dichloro-anthracene/phenanthrene, bromo-anthracene/phenanthrene

and dibromo-fluorene

Detection limits of at least 1ng/g in certified reference material (CRM) are

required by ECCC, as well as the use of accredited methods.

ECCC requires the analyses to be conducted using dual quad gas

chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) and 2D-GC (two dimensional

gas chromatography) using an internal standard method following fully accredited

analytical laboratory methods.