Determination of trace levels of hexachlorocyclopentadiene and octachlorocyclopentene in body fluids.

A simple, rapid and sensitive method for the analysis of hexachlorocyclopentadiene (C5-Cl6) and octachlorocyclopentene (C5-Cl8) in blood and urine is described. The procedure requires 5.0 mL of blood or urine, and involves the isolation of the compounds from the sample by liquid-liquid extraction, followed by screening and quantification via glass-capillary column gas chromatography with electron-capture detection and confirmation by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The assays are suitable for the detection and identification of nanogram quantities of these compounds in body fluids with a lower detection limit of 50 ng/mL for blood and 10 ng/mL for urine.