Enantiomeric fraction of selected chiral polychlorinated biphenyls in cow, goat, and ewe milk and dairy products by heart-cut multidimensional gas chromatography: first results

The concentration of the most relevant polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners has been determined in milk and dairy products (i.e., cheese and yogurt, from cow, goat, and ewe). In addition, the enantiomeric composition of 11 atropisomeric PCB has been determined for the first time in this type of product, using heart-cut multidimensional gas chromatography and 2 enantioselective columns for the unambiguous determination of both enantiomers. Results showed a deviation from the racemic composition for PCB 135, 136, 176, 171, and 183 in the samples analyzed. Whereas PCB 135, 136, and 176 showed an enrichment of the first eluted enantiomer, congeners 171 and 183 showed an enrichment of the first or second eluted enantiomer depending on the dairy product and species. The remaining congeners analyzed (PCB 84, 91, 95, 132, 149, and 174) did not present a clear enrichment of any of the enantiomers. Therefore, differences in the enantiomeric composition of some of the target atropisomeric PCB have been found among the 3 species and among the milk samples and the related dairy products analyzed. Enantioselective species-dependent processes, as well as enantioselective processes carried on by microorganisms during the fermentation and ripening in the latter could be possible explanations for the differences observed. However, changes in the enantiomeric composition are still not well understood, and further investigation in this direction is recommended.