The Standard – October 2015

Welcome to the October 2015 edition of “The Standard,” our newsletter for issues related to environmental, food, water, and human exposure testing. 

Curious (but correct!) Naming of CIL’s Isotopically Labeled Ethynylestradiol (EE2) Standard

CLM-3375, ethynylestradiol (20,21-¹³C₂) is one of the carbon-labeled steroids offered by CIL. Native 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) is used as an oral contraceptive. Its widespread dispersal in natural waters is of environmental concern because it is an endocrine-disrupting compound. 17α-Ethynylestradiol induces chemical feminization of male fish at low parts per trillion levels. Researchers can utilize the stable isotope-labeled compound as an internal standard in mass spectrometric analytical methods. While the acronym EE2 is not structurally specific, the formal nomenclature of the molecule may be confusing without looking at a structural diagram.

New PCN Standard (PCN Update)

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are a group of 75 compounds which are structurally similar to PCBs. Until the 1970s, PCNs were high-volume chemicals commercially produced as mixtures of several congeners marketed as Halowax and other commercial trade names. Total global production of PCNs was estimated at 150,000 metric tonnes until production ceased in Europe and North America in the 1980s.

The Isotope Gateway

The primary purpose of presenting a scientific poster at a conference or workshop is to allow and encourage direct discourse between peers so that existing research goals can better be met and perhaps new ones developed. Certainly, preparing and presenting a scientific poster is an important step of any graduate or post-doctoral student's career. CIL recognizes the importance of scientific posters as a tool to disperse scientific knowledge and appreciates the effort involved in creating them. Unfortunately, posters at a meeting are typically only available for viewing for a short time, which is one reason why CIL has established the Isotope Gateway.