Congener-based Aroclor quantification and speciation techniques: a comparison of the strengths, weaknesses, and proper use of two alternative approaches.

This paper compares two previously published methods, an Aroclor estimation method and a mixing model method, that relate Aroclor contamination to congener specific data in environmental samples. The Aroclor estimation method, which is consistent with U.S. EPA Method 8082, uses a limited set of congener specific data to estimate Aroclor contributions to the sample, while the mixing model method uses the full congener data to model sample compositions as linear combinations of Aroclors. The performance of these methods are compared, using 181 samples at a variety of trophic levels, in terms of (a) total PCB concentrations, (b) compositional modification levels from original Aroclors, and (c) determination of the Aroclor mixture or mixtures best describing the sample (Aroclor speciation). We find that the two methods agree in all three terms for samples of low trophic level, but disagree for samples of higher tropic levels. Most significantly, the comparison reveals systematic overestimation of total PCB content by the Aroclor estimation method for samples at high trophic levels. The implication is that Aroclor determinations using persistent congeners cannot reliably be used as surrogates for total PCB concentration. The strengths and weaknesses of each method are detailed.