Title: Electron ionization mass spectral fragmentation study of sulfation derivatives of polychlorinated biphenyls.

Authors: Li, Xueshu; Robertson, Larry W; Lehmler, Hans-Joachim

Published In Chem Cent J, (2009 Mar 09)

Abstract: Polychlorinated biphenyls are persistent organic pollutants that can be metabolized via hydroxylated PCBs to PCB sulfate metabolites. The sensitive and selective analysis of PCB sulfate monoesters by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) requires their derivatization, for example, as PCB 2,2,2-trichloroethyl (TCE) sulfate monoesters. To aid in the identification of unknown PCB sulfate metabolites isolated from biological samples, the electron impact MS fragmentation pathways of selected PCB TCE sulfate diesters were analyzed and compared to the fragmentation pathways of the corresponding methoxylated PCBs.The most abundant and characteristic fragment ions of PCB TCE sulfate diesters were formed by releasing CHCCl3, SO3, HCl2 and/or CCl3 from the TCE sulfate moiety and Cl2, HCl, ethyne and chloroethyne from an intermediate phenylcyclopentadienyl cation. The fragmentation pattern depended on the degree of chlorination and the position of the TCE sulfate moiety (i.e., ortho vs. meta/para to the second phenyl ring), but were independent of the chlorine substitution pattern. These fragmentation pathways are similar to the fragmentation pathways of structurally related methoxylated PCBs.Knowledge of the fragmentation patterns of PCB TCE sulfate diesters will greatly aid in determining the position of sulfate moiety (ortho vs. meta/para) of unknown PCB sulfate metabolites isolated from environmental or laboratory samples.

PubMed ID: 19272150

MeSH Terms: No MeSH terms associated with this publication