Analysis of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-P-Dioxins and Dibenzofurans in Pentachlorophenol Treated Poles

Abstract

The analysis of polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDFs) from pentachlorophenol (PCP) treated jack pine poles is described. The concentration of PCDD and PCDF was found to change dramatically with the age of poles. The older jack pine pole produced in 1956 was found to have a total PCDD/PCDF content of 15 μg/g in the 0–20 mm assay zone of its' ground-line, while a corresponding jack pine pole treated in 1979 contained up to 239 μg/g PCDD/PCDF in the same assay zone.

Key Words:

• Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins
• dioxins
• polychlorinated dibenzofurans
• dibenzofurans
• pentachlorophenol
• GC-MS
• wood preservative
• utility poles
• treated wood waste