New, Improved Thin Layer Chromatography for Poly chlorinated Biphenyls, Toxaphene, and Chlordane Components

Abstract

Abstract Reverse phase partition thin layer chromatography is described for the separation of the different components in polychlorinated biphenyl compounds, chlordane, and toxaphene. Plates prepared from washed aluminum oxide, with silver nitrate incorporated into the layer, are saturated with a nonpolar solvent (immobile phase), air-dried overnight, and spotted. A mixture of polar solvents is used as the mobile phase. After exposure to longwave ultraviolet light, dark blue silver chloride spots form on a white background. As little as 1 μg Aroclor can be detected by this method, which can be applied for qualitative and semiquantitative measurements. Distinct patterns are obtained for Aroclor reference materials which are resolved from most DDT analogs and other commonly occurring chlorinated pesticides. Since the use of infrared, ultraviolet, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectroscopy as supplementary methods for qualitative analysis involves a large capital outlay which is often beyond the resources of small laboratories, the technique is most valuable to the chemist in such laboratories where time and money are important factors.