TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The PHB-containing sample is brought into contact with the fibrous activated carbon in the presence of an organic solvent. In the second step, the fibrous activated carbon is washed with n-hexane, cyclohexane, and/or cyclopentane, and washings are removed. In the third step, the PHBs are eluted from the fibrous activated carbon into either a first solvent from dichloromethane and/or toluene, or a mixed solvent composed of the first solvent and n-hexane, cyclohexane, and/or cyclopentane.Preferred Component: The PHBs contain isomers having two or more substituted halogens at the ortho positions. The PHB-containing sample also contains oil from a mineral oil, a fuel oil, petroleum, kerosene, gasoline, gas oil, a chemically synthetic oil, a vegetable oil and/or an animal oil.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Component: The fibrous activated carbon is produced using cellulose as a starting material, and packed into a cartridge. EXAMPLE - Rayon fibers (10 g) were immersed in a saturated aqueous solution of a mixture of ammonium sulfate and diammonium phosphate (mixing mass ratio = 85:15), were drained off, and were dried to give finished rayon fibers. The finished rayon fibers were placed in carbonization furnace. The carbonized fibers were then subjected to activation treatment for 15 minutes while introducing vaporized water into the carbonization furnace at 3 g/minute through an introduction tube to generate steam. The furnace was then cooled, and the fibers were taken out of the furnace and were dried at 80degreesC for 3 hours to prepare 1.2 g of fibrous activated carbon. Fibrous activated carbon (50 mg) was packed into a 1-ml glass syringe to prepare a minicolumn. About 25 ml of toluene, 25 ml of dichloromethane, and 20 ml of n-hexane were passed in that order through the minicolumn for conditioning. A polychlorinated biphenyl dissolved in 2 ml of n-hexane or an engine oil (a mineral oil) was loaded as sample (each addition amount: 5ml in total including washing of sample vessel). About 5 ml of n-hexane was loaded for washing, and 10 ml of dichloromethane and 25 ml of toluene were loaded in that order for elution (gravity dropping). About two hours were necessary for carrying out the procedure from the loading of the sample to the completion of the elution (completion of gravity dropping). Immediately after the loading of the sample, the liquid dropped from the minicolumn was collected by 5 ml portions which were then concentrated.