Detection of chlordanes by positive ion chemical ionization in an ion trap: a comparative [correction of comparitive] study of the non-conventional reagents acetonitrile, acrylonitrile and dichloromethane.

The detection of some chlordane compounds (heptachlor, cis-/trans-chlordane and cis-/trans-nonachlor) by positive ion chemical ionization (PICI) in an ion trap was studied using acetonitrile, acrylonitrile and dichloromethane as non-conventional reagent gases. These reagent gases initiated specific fragmentation reactions and resulted in different response factors. All reagent gases enabled detection limits in the low-pg range for heptachlor, whereas the detection limits of cis-/trans-chlordane and cis-/trans-nonachlor were in the mid-pg range. Additionally, the acetonitrile and dichloromethane PICI mass spectra of the cis- and trans-stereoisomers of chlordane and nonachlor were different.