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Dioxins

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Dioxins

About Dioxins

Dioxins are persistent organic toxic components that nowadays are forming a group of popular environmental pollutants. The carcinogenic characteristics of these compounds and the attention they get by the public through crises and accidents, brings awareness around the globe in terms of health concern and actions to be taken to prevent their release in the environment.

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What are Dioxins?

Dioxins consist of 210 components, including the PolyChlorinated DibenzoDioxins (PCDD’s) and the PolyChlorinated DibenzoFurans (PCDF’s) of which 17 are considered as being toxic. Dioxins are not intentionally manufactured and are formed as a byproduct in chemical processes and in combustion processes, especially in the case where these are not under control. As the dioxins are unintentionally formed, they have to be determined among other very similar components at a very low level, parts per trillion or parts per quadrilion. These are levels which are about 1,000, 000 times lower in concentration compared to the normal level other environmental components have to be determined.

Alongside with the environmental contamination, a lot of attention has arisen for these components in the food chain due to some dioxin contaminations in the food chain. The dioxin crisis in Belgium in 1999, originating of mixing PCB oil with used frying oil for final use in the animal feeding stuff, was the basis of establishing some regulations with respect to dioxins in feed/food in Europe. The regulated levels are very low and the matrices in which they have to be determined are quite complex in comparison to some environmental matrices.

Human exposure to dioxins comes 90% via the food intake. As a result of this, adequate control of the food chain is a necessity.

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Be Sure It‘s Safe

SGS offers clinical certainty that there are no dioxin risks in your production processes. With a team of highly skilled scientists, our Institute for Applied Chromatography (I.A.C.) analyses traces of dioxin contamination in a wide range of samples by means of innovative and advanced techniques such as HRGC / HRMS. The results of our dioxin analyses are accurate and reliable. We can prove that you are safe!

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Determination of Dioxins

The determination of PCDD's and PCDF's is done via High Resolution Capillary Gas Chromatography coupled to High Resolution Mass Spectrometry in combination with the isotope dilution technique.

At different stages during the analytical process C13-labeled 2,3,7,8 chlorine substituted PCDD/F congeners are added to have control on the analytical process and in order to correct for potential losses during the different steps in sample preparation and instrumental analysis.

The chromatographic process separates the 17 toxic 2,3,7,8 - chlorine substituted congeners from the non-toxic congeners. The mass spectrometric parameters allow to separate between the PCDD's and the PCDF's, between the different chlorination degrees and between the C13 - labeled congeners and the native C12 - congeners.
The Mass Spectrometer is measuring via "selected ion recording" at a resolution of 10 000 of two selected ions per congener group and this as well for the native as the labeled components.

Calculation of the toxic native compounds is done against the corresponding C13 congener, automatically correcting for potential losses during the analytical process.

High Resolution Mass Spectrometry is the only legally accepted analytical technique for the quantitative determination of dioxins.

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We serve clients from all over the world according to various different international standards (EN, EPA, JIS). We strive towards full customer satisfaction through extensive follow up of your projects, comprehensive reporting and internationally recognized expertise.

Determination of Dioxins in:

Agri-Food Matrices