Document QJp0Yw221JzyDE80Xa1mDOdq7
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THE FINDING OF .CHLORINATED DIBENZOFURANS IN A JAPANESE POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYL SAMPLE
by JOHN A. G. ROACH and IRWIN II. POMERANTZ Division of Chemical Technology Food and Drug Administration t Washington D. C. 20204
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The presence of totre- and pentaclilorinnted dibenxofuratis
and hexa- and hcptachJorlnatcd naphthalenes in two samples'of
polychlorinated biphenyl, mixtures (PCB) of European origin'has
been reported by VOS, ut. al. (1970a). Their interest in a
content analysis of the two -PCS samples for impurities wasi
stimulated by previous work in which toxic effects observed
in chicks were attributed to these two samples (VOS, et. al.
1970b).
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Kanechlor 400.; (KC-400),., a commercial- PCB preparation of
Japanese origin has bcon identified as the causative agent in
Yusho, a human poisoning incident resulting from the ingestion
of rice oil contaminated with KC-400 (KURATSUNE, et. al. 1972).
We have analyzed a sample of KC-400 made available to us from
the Kanegafuchi Chemical Industrial C o , , Ltd. through ])r. rf.
Blumenthal of the. Food and Drug Administration to determine
whether potentially hazardous .chemicals, particularly chlo
rinated dibenzofurans (01-DBF), were present as contaminands.
It was the objective of thissanalysis.to obtain, where pos-.
slble, structural information on these contaminants and an :
estimate of their concentration in the KC-400.
-> EXPERTMKNTAT.
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A hexane solution of the KC-400 was gas chromatographed,
using an eletrtFpn capture detector, on a column of 104 DC-200
on Chromosorb VHP (HO-100 mesh) and on a mixed column of 15%
QF-1 + 10% DC-200 each coated on Chromosorb WHP (8Q-100 mesh)
and mixed in a 1:1 woLght ratio. The KC-400 (chlorine content
48%) showed only ml nor-differences in peak locations and relative-
peak heights from Aroelor 1248 (chlorine content 48%), a PCB of
American manufacture. Therefore, Aroclor 1248 to whicha mixture
of di-% tri- and tocrnehlorinated dibenzofuransl had been added* .
was used by Porter to devise a procedure to separate Cl-DBF '
from PCB (PORTER, 1971b). This procedure is outlined in Figure
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This reference mixture was kindly provided by Albert pohland,^ ph.D., of FDA, It was. prepared by chlorination of dibenzofurnn in tetrachlomethylene with iron powder as catalyst.
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KC-400., in'hexane solution"
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Florieil Column.
FCB in eluate A (discard)
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Cl-DBF In eluate B
Alumina Micro Column (PORTER, 1971a)
FCB in eluate 1 ; (discard)
Cl-DBF in eluate 2 ' \
Figure 1. Procedure for Separation pf Chlorinated Dibenzofurans from Chlorinated Biphenyls in KC-400. i
The Florisil (8g. of 60/100 mesh PR grade) was activate^ by
heating at 130C 12 hr. and cooled to room temperature in a
desiccator, prior to the addition of sample, to the column,[the
Florisil column was prewashed with about 25 ml-hexane. The
KC-400/hcxane solution (< 2-ml) was placed on the Florisil
which was contained in a 10 mm i,d. 300 mm glass column fitted
with a teflon stopcock and medium porosity fritted.disk The,
column was eluted with two elUants in succession at the rate of
about 5 ml/min. Eluant A was 150 ml hexane. Eluant B was 100
ml 5% ethyl ether in hexane, Eluate B was concentrated to !
about one ml before placing the sample on the alumina micro \
column.
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The micro column was a disposable pipet of roughly 5 mnr
bore into which a small wad of glass wool had been inserted ;
to retain the aluminum oxide. Merck alumina which had been
heat activated exactly like the Florisil-was-poured into the
column to a depth of 2.5 cm. Sample or eluting solvent was ,
then added to the column with the aid of a disposable pipet |
or a large glass syringe. Eluant 1 was 10 ml 1% methylene <
chloride in hexane.' Eluant 2 was 6 ml 207* methylene chlo
ride In hexane. Further FCB removal was accomplished by <
concentrating eluate 2 to about one ml and subjecting It to :
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a second alumimt micro column cleanup, simply repeating the
alumina column procedure.'
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Tills procedure was first applied to.duplicate two mg. por
tions of KC-400. Electron capture gas chromatography of \
eluato 2 showed a gas chromatographic peak In each sample that
had a relative retention time matching* that of a tctrachlo-
rodibonzofuran on both a 10% OV-lOl arid a 1:1 10% DC-200 +'
15% QF-1 column under Pesticide Analytical Manual condi- \
tions.2 Hie reference material for this retention time com
parison was the tetrachlorodlbenzofuran component in the mix
ture of chlorinated dlbenzofurans (see footnote 1)., 1
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To obtain sufficient material from the KC-400 for combined
gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis, the pro
cedure was scaled up to permit cleanup of 8 mg portions of !
KC-400. Cleaned up cluates (eluatc 2) were then combined tjo
give two composite'samples, each equivalent to approxiinnteljy
100 mg KC-400. These two composites were analyzed by GC/MS
(Flnnigan 1015 quadrupole mass spectrometer) and tha re- \
suiting data wereexamined for evidence of the presence of |
compounds that were not chlorobiphenyls. A reagent blank cjf
equivalent size was also analyzed by GC/MS. The reagent
blank contained none of the compounds found in the samples.)
The qualitative results of the KC-400 analyses are summe- !
rized in Table I . * The identification-of the compounds
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listed in Table I.was based on a comparison of the mass |
spectra of the sample compounds with the mass spectra of the
jchlorinated-dibonzofuran components in the*reference mix-
ture described in footnote one and on comparison with mass !
spectral data DiY't'hlurina'ted dibenzqfurans in the published
' literature (VOS ei. al.,1 1970a; FIRESTONE, etV al., 1972; |
PL1MMER, et. a l . , 1973). `
The amount of tetrachlorodlbenzofuran contained in the reference mixture,vas approximated by comparing its micro- , coulometric GC response with the response given by a known {quan tity of a tetrachlorodibenzodioxln of known structure. Thej totrachlorodlbenzodioxin was considered an appropriate micrtocoulometric reference ,compound because of Its structural
2 Gas chromatographic conditions; glass column, 6 ft. x 4 )
m a id., @ 200C with 225C injector; carrier gas, nitrogen
@ 120 ml /min,; d e t e c t o r t r i t i u m source (concentric type)*,
operated In electron capture mode at 210C. Detector t
voltago was adjusted so that 1 ng heptachlor epoxide causes
1/2 full nealo recorder deflection at 1 x 10~? AFS.
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similarity to tctrachlorodfbcnzofuran. The .electron capture!
GC responsos of the tetrachl.oro component In the synthetic I
mixture and in the KC-400 extracts ere .then compared to
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`quantitate the tctrachlorodibenzofuran In the kc-400, The ;
KC-400 was estimated to contain approximately.1 ppm tetra- t
chlorodibenzofuran."
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TABLE I
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. Compounds present In Kanechlor 400 After Cleanup*
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mass (no. of Cl) and
. .- molecular weight
fragmentation data w-
compound present
of compound
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256(3C1)M-2C1.
270(301) ;M- (COfCl) .o* .*
290(401) ;M-2Cl
298(5C1) M-2C1
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T 304(401);M-(COfCl),
M-(COf3Cl)
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312(5C1) M-C
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trichlorobiphenyl, t *' . trlchlorodibenzofuran
\ 256 *I
' 270
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tetrachlorobiphenyl
290
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pentachloronaphthalene : > 298
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tetrach'lorodibenzofuran 304 i
unidentified; perhaps
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methylpentachloro-
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naphthalene or pentachloro-
phenyl cyclopentadiefie
312
338(4 or 5C1) ;. M-(COf3Cl) indicated
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possible pentachlorodibenzofuran
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listed in order* of elution from 3% OV-101, 6- ft. x 2 mm
i;d. glass column a t `220Ct carrier flow 20 ml He`/min.;
the same MS evidence was found In both -samples examined
for all entries but the last (possible pentachlorodiben-
tofuran) for which a second determination was not- at
tempted.
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SUMMARY
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Chlorinated dlbenzofurans, Including one ppm of tetrachlorlnatod dlbenzofuran(s), and pcntachloro naphthalene have been ; identified by combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry id a
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polychlorinated biphenyl of Japanese manufacture (KC-400), The . question of whether chlorinated dibenxofurans in KC-400 may have contributed.to the reported Yusho incident is thus raised
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
I ** I The authors wish to thank Sandra Mercier for assistance In the preparation of the samples for GC/MS: analysis.,
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REFERENCES .L
FIRESTONE, D . , RESS, J . , BROWN, N, L . , BARRON, R, 3P. and j
DAMICO, J. N , : J, Ass. Offic. Anal. Chcm'. 55, 85(1972)
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KURATSUNE, M., YdSHIMURA, T,, MATSUZAKA, J., AND YAMAGUCHI, A.;
Env. Health Perapect, Expt. Issue #1, 119 (1972)
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1*1 PESTICIDE ANALYTICAL MANUAL*,Vol. I, sec. 311.2, Food and.'Drug Administration, Washing ton, D.C., 1968, rev. 1969 and 1970
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PLIMMER, J. R., RUTH, J. M. and W00LS0N, E, A.: J. Agr. Food
Chem. 21, 90 (1973)
' PORTER, M. and SURKE, J. A.: J. Asa. Offic. Anal; Chem. 54,
(6) 1426 (1971a)
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PORTER, M . : Private Communication, (Feb., 1971b)*
I VOS, J, G., KOEMAN, J, H , , VAN DER MAAS, H. L., TEN NOEVEfe DE
BRAUW, M. C., and DE VOS, R. H.: Fd. Cosmet. Toxicol. 8,1
625 (1970a)
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JVOS, J. G . , and KOEMAN, J. H , : Toxicol, Appl. Pharmacol 17,
(3) 656 (1970b)i
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