Identification of cis- and trans-1,1,2,3,4-pentachloro-4-[1-methylethoxy]-1,3-butadiene residues in Mississippi River fish

The cis- and trans-isomers of 1,1,2,3,4-pentachloro-4-1-methylethoxy]-1,3-butadiene have been identified as contaminants in fish caught from the Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO, and as far as 150 miles south of that location. Up to 0.1 ppm of the cis-isomer and 0.8 ppm of the trans-isomer were determined by using a method based on the AOAC multiresidue method for detecting organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides. In tests of the modified AOAC method on spiked fish, both isomers were quantitatively recovered (95-106%). A mixture of the cis- and trans-isomers was synthesized by reacting hexachlorobutadiene with sodium isopropoxide. Separation of the reaction products by Florisil column chromatography provided reference standards of the individual isomers for identification and quantitation of the residues. The stereospecificity of the synthesis reaction and the infrared and mass spectral data used to verify the structures of the products are discussed.