Nucleus (Jan 2016)
Interaction of 1-iodochlordecone, as radioactive tracer, with the carboxylate group on activated carbon
Abstract
Chlordecone is a synthetic organo chlorinated compound that has been used as pesticide. It has been identified and listed as persistent organic pollutant by the Stockholm Convention. The use of activated carbon filters is one of the most widely popular solutions for water decontamination. The chlordecone labeled with radioactive iodine (1-iodochordecone) is a potential radioactive tracer for studying adsorption, environmental availability and bio-distribution of chlordecone. The selection of the best suited activation carbon for this type of contaminants is mainly an empiric process, increasing the costs of research. A simplified activation carbon model, consisting of a seven ring graphene sheet with a functional group (carboxylate) was used to assess the interaction of chlordecone and 1-iodochlordecone with this surface group under neutral pH conditions over the adsorption process. The Multiple Minima Hypersurface methodology with the semiempirical Hamiltonian PM7 was used. The results indicate that for carboxylate, in neutral conditions, significant associations appear which suggest chemisorption in activated carbon. No significant differences were observed for the interactions of chlordecone and 1‑iodochlordecone with carboxylate, making 1-iodochlordecone a good candidate as a radioactive tracer in medical research.
