Determination of selected polybrominated diphenylethers and polybrominated biphenyl in polymers by ultrasonic-assisted extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

A new method has been developed for the determination of selected polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) and polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) in four polymers: high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), and polypropylene (PP). PBDEs and PBB in the polymers were extracted with toluene, using ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE). The extracts were then determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS), using external calibration (single-point). Extraction parameters of UAE and several ICP-MS parameters were optimized. Extraction efficiencies almost reached 100%. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) were in the range of 0.7%-5.4%. The results demonstrate that the method possesses advantages of good precision, as well as high extraction efficiency and accuracy. The method especially overcomes the problem of the thermal degradation of highly brominated PBDEs, such as PBDE-209.