The Standard – August 2014

Welcome to the August 2014 edition of “The Standard,” our newsletter for issues related to environmental, food, water, and human exposure testing.

Dechlorane-602

Dechloranes are a class of highly chlorinated norbornene compounds, synthesized by the Diels-Alder reaction of hexachlorocyclopentadiene with various substrates. Dechlorane is actually a trade name for Mirex, indicating its use as a flame retardant compound as opposed to its more commonly known use as an insecticide. Dechlorane was used as a flame retardant until the late 1970s when Mirex was banned. As an alternative industry turned to other related compounds such as Dechlorane Plus (DP), Dechlorane-602 (Dec-602), Dechlorane-603 (Dec-603), and Dechlorane-604 (Dec-604) to meet the needs of the growing flame retardant application.

Bisphenol A (BPA)

Interest in the effect of Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure on human health has received increasing attention in recent years. Regulatory agencies and manufacturers have responded to concerns regarding BPA by limiting its use and seeking alternatives to use as BPA substitutes. BPA is widely used in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. It has become more prominently studied since the late 2000s with the discovery of adverse effects on human health.

Calculating Concentrations of Free Acid or Base from Salt Form

At CIL, reference standards with concentration based on gravimetry are carefully weighed, dissolved and diluted by weight, then packaged. The Concentration Based on Gravimetry is given in mass of compound per volume of solvent using the density of the solvent and is adjusted for the purity of the neat material. If the compound dissolved is a salt, the concentration by gravimetry is based on the mass of the salt form.