ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF [M-HCL](-) FRAGMENT IONS IN GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHYELECTRON-CAPTURE NEGATIVE IONIZATION MASS-SPECTRA OF OCTACHLORO COMPOUNDS OF TECHNICAL TOXAPHENE

The response factors of compounds of technical toxaphene vary signific antly in GC/ECNI-MS. The response of endo,3-exo,5-endo,6-exo,8,8,9,10- octachlorobornane (B8-1412) was twice as high as in GC/ECD if compared with ndo,3-exo,5-endo,6-exo,8,8,10,10-octachlorobornane (BS-1413 or P arlar #26). One explanation was found with the simultaneous formation of [M-HCI](-) with the IM-CI](-) fragment ion which usually dominates the ECNI-MS chromatograms. The significance of [M-HCI](-) fragment ion s in the ECNI mass spectra of octachlorobornanes was studied by monito ring m/z 374 in standards and technical toxaphene. This technique is a n interesting tool to identify BS-1413 in complex mixtures. (C) 1998 J ohn Wiley & Sons, Ltd.