High levels of halogenated natural products in large pelagic fish from the Western Indian Ocean

Concentrations, profiles and muscle-liver distribution of halogenated natural products (HNPs) and anthropogenic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were investigated in five large pelagic fish species and one smaller planktivore fish species from the Western Indian Ocean. Analysis of swordfish muscle from the Seychelles revealed the predominance of HNPs, with the highest concentrations found for 2′-methoxy-2,3′,4,5′- tetraBDE (2′-MeO-BDE 68 or BC-2), 6-methoxy-2,2′,4,4′- tetraBDE (6-MeO-BDE 47 or BC-3) and 2,3,3′,4,4′,5,5′-heptachloro-1′-methyl-1,2′-bipyrrole (Q1), along with varied contributions of further HNPs. The mean concentration of ∑HNPs (330 ng/g lw) was one or two orders of magnitude higher than ∑DDTs (60 ng/g lw) and ∑PCBs (6.8 ng/g lw). HNPs (BC-2, BC-3 and Q1) were also predominant in individual samples of three tropical tuna species from the Seychelles and from other regions of the Western Indian Ocean (Mozambique Channel, off Somalia and Chagos Archipelago). Non-targeted gas chromatography coupled with electron capture negative ion mass spectrometry operated in the selected ion monitoring mode (GC/ECNI-MS-SIM) analysis of one swordfish sample indicated low abundance of rarely reported HNPs (three hexachloro-1′-methyl-1,2′-bipyrrole (Cl6-MBP) isomers and pentabromo-1,1′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyrroles (Br5-DBP)) but no further abundant unscreened polyhalogenated compounds.

Determination of Electron Affinity on the Base of Experimentally Measured Lifetime of Negative Molecular Ions of Coumarin Derivatives

Resonance attachment of low-energy (0–15 eV) electrons to molecules of 4.7- and 6.7-dihydroxycoumarin was investigated by means of negative ion mass spectrometry. These natural compounds possess biological activity associated with antioxidant and bactericidal properties. The most probable structures of the fragment negative ions ([M – H]–, [M – 2H]–, [M – СО]–, [M – СОH]–, [M – СООH]– etc.) were predicted by means of analysis of decay channels for the molecular negative ions using the results of density functional theory calculations. Mean lifetime for molecular negative ions of 4.7-dihydroxycoumarin relative to electron autodetachment was measured. The adiabatic electron affinity (EAa) was estimated in the framework of the Arrhenius approximation. It was found that EAa values calculated at B3LYP/6-31+G(d) level with minimal addition of diffuse functions as a difference between the total energies of a neutral molecule and its radical anion correlate with experimental EAa values.

Vortex-homogenized matrix solid-phase dispersion coupled with gas chromatography – electron-capture negative-ion mass spectrometry to determine halogenated phenolic compounds in seafood

This work represents the development of vortex-homogenized matrix solid-phase dispersion (VH-MSPD) as an effective and simple method to rapidly extract halogenated phenolic compounds in marketed seafood samples.