Sunlight photochlorination and dark chlorination of monoterpenes

Abstract

The aqueous chlorination of the monoterpenes camphene, limonene, α-pinene and β-pinene produced complex polychlorinated product mixtures. The extent of chlorination was primarily dependent on pH and light conditions. At pH2 and exposure to sunlight, product mixtures were obtained that had striking similarities to Toxaphene. At higher pH or in the dark, less extensive but still substantial chlorination took place; these lower chlorinated compounds could be mistaken for biologically degraded Toxaphene in environmental samples.