Methyl sulfones - from PCBs

Bergman A, RJ Norstrom, K Haraguchi, H Kuroki, P Belaud (1994) PCB and DDE methyl sulfones in mammals from Canada and Sweden. Environ Toxicol Chem 13 121-128. 

GC-coupled mass spectrometry with electron ionization (EI-MS) or with electron capture, negative ionization (ECNI-MS), and GC with electron capture detection (ECD) have been the major techniques for the analysis of aryl methyl sulfone fractions isolated from tissue (Sect. 5.1). GC/ECD detection and identification of MeS02-PCBs relies on a comparison of GC retention times relative to authentic standards, which is dependent on the absence of co-eluting interfe-rents. GC/MS techniques have provided important structural information for MeS02-PCBs, especially in the absence of authentic standards. 

MeS02-PCBs are initially co-extracted from tissue with other OHS and lipids. Lipid-rich tissues such as adipose, liver and lung have been homogenized with dichloromethane (DCM) and n-hexane/2-propanol (3 2) to co-extract lipid and OHS [95,117, 118]. Tissues have also been homogenized with acetone/n-hexane and extracted with n-hexane/diethyl ether or methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) [119]. Mammalian adipose and liver and whole fish have been dehydrated with sodium sulfate prior to extraction with n-hexane/DCM (1 1) [11, 96]. Human liver and feces have been extracted with benzene and refluxing by Soxhlet [120], Formic acid has been added to milk samples in preparation for further cleanup [16], After extraction, OHS and aryl methyl sulfones have been separated from lipids by various techniques. Lipid destructive strategies include saponifi-... 

Haraguchi K, Athanasiadou M, Bergman A, et al. 1992. PCB and PCB methyl sulfones in selected groups of seals from Swedish waters. Ambio 21 546-549. 

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