title: Identification of the halogenated compounds resulting from the 1997 Plastimet Inc. fire in Hamilton, Ontario, using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and (ultra)high resolution mass spectrometry.
abstract: Between July 9-12, 1997, at least 400 tonnes of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were consumed in a fire at the Plastimet Inc. plastics recycling facility in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This led to the release of contaminants, including highly toxic polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and dibenzofurans (PCDF). This study re-examines a composite soil sample collected shortly after the fire using state-of-the-art FT-ICR (Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance) and GC × GC-TOF (comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight) mass spectrometry. The FT-ICR experiments led to the identification of approximately 150 molecular formulas, corresponding to chlorinated and mixed chloro/bromo compounds. The majority of these are halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (halo-PAHs), including highly substituted (e.g., C14HCl9 and C16HCl9) and high molecular weight (e.g., C28H12Cl4) Cl-PAHs that have not been reported previously in environmental samples. Complementary GC × GC-TOF experiments resolved individual halo-PAHs, some of which were confirmed with available standards. The concentrations of the most abundant halo-PAH groups, C14H8Cl2 (22 μg/g) and C16H8Cl2 (20 μg/g) are much higher than reported dioxin values and comparable to the corresponding PAH groups C14H10 (12 μg/g) and C16H10 (19 μg/g). The high abundance of the halo-PAHs identified in this study highlights the need for further investigation into their environmental occurrence and risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University , 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M1, Canada.
authors.forename: Sujan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fernando
authors.forename: Karl J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Jobst
authors.forename: Vince Y
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Helm
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Reiner
authors.forename: Brian E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: McCarry
mesh_terms: D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005390:Fires; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated / Q000032:analysis*; D009864:Ontario; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; C023614:dibenzofuran