Utility of an alternative method (to USEPA Method 1613) for analysis of priority persistent organic pollutants in soil from mixed industrial–suburban areas of Durban, South Africa.

This study assesses the suitability of an alternative analytical method—comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–time of flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC‐TOF MS)—for detecting persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in soils near industrial sites within the eThekwini municipal area, South Africa. The research aligns with the Stockholm Convention's Article 11 on monitoring and addresses the limited technical capacity in many African countries to perform USEPA Method 1613, which requires high-resolution instrumentation. Soil samples from industrial hotspots, including oil refineries, a pulp and paper mill, electricity substations, and a landfill, revealed low contamination levels of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), with most concentrations below limits of quantification. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), particularly BDE 209, were detected at higher concentrations, especially near the Marianhill landfill. The findings suggest that while the alternative GC × GC‐TOF MS method shows promise for environmental monitoring in developing regions, more sensitive instrumentation is needed for comprehensive dl-compound soil analysis in this area.