Novel method to identify illegal diesel fuel, I: use of adamantane or [1, 2-D2] n-tetradecane as chemical marker.
In this study, we demonstrated a new identification method of illegal diesel fuel using adamantane (tricyclo[3,3,1,1,(3,7)]decane) or [1, 2-D(2)] n-tetradecane as a potential chemical marker instead of coumarin. In a mixing system of diesel fuel with marker-labeled kerosene, the concentration of kerosene in the mixed oil is quantitatively determined using specific ion fragments of the markers using GC/MS analysis, in which the detection limit is 12.5 ng/microl for adamantane or 7.1 ng/microl for [1, 2-D(2)] n-tetradecane. Coumarin, the currently used chemical marker, can be easily removed by sulfuric acid treatment, which is a primal cause of environmental pollution due to the illicit disposal of the strong acidic by-product. However, adamantane and [1, 2-D(2)] n-tetradecane cannot be removed by sulfuric acid treatment. Thus, although the detection limit of adamantane and [1, 2-D(2)] n-tetradecane is higher by approximately one or two orders of magnitude than that of coumarin, they cannot be removed by sulfuric acid treatment. Therefore, adamantane and [1, 2-D(2)] n-tetradecane are strong candidates as potential markers instead of coumarin, leading to the prevention of the production of illegal diesel fuel and a reduction in environmental pollution.
Suzuki
Yaeko
Y
Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan. suzuki-yaeko@ed.tmu.ac.jp
Ishioka
Shintaro
S
Korenaga
Takashi
T
Chikaraishi
Yoshito
Y
D000218:Adamantane / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D000473:Alkanes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D003415:Crime / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005742:Gasoline / Q000032:analysis*; D007564:Japan
D000473:Alkanes; D005742:Gasoline; C024713:n-tetradecane; D000218:Adamantane