Fluorescence Detection of the Persistent Organic Pollutant Chlordecone in Water at Environmental Concentrations

• Published in: Chemistry : a European journal Vol. 29; no. 28; pp. e202203887 - n/a
• Main Authors: Della‐Negra, Oriane, Kouassi, Aya Esther, Dutasta, Jean‐Pierre, Saaidi, Pierre‐Loïc, Martinez, Alexandre
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: WEINHEIM Wiley 16.05.2023; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc; Wiley-VCH Verlag
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; Chemical compounds; Chemical Sciences; Chemistry; Chemistry, Multidisciplinary; Chlordecone; Drinking water; Fluorescence; fluorescence detection; Fluorophores; Food chains; Food contamination; Health problems; hemicryptophanes; Life Sciences; molecular recognition; Organic chemistry; persistent organic pollutant; Physical Sciences; Pollutants; Pollution detection; Public health; Science & Technology; Water pollution; RECOGNITION; CYCLODEXTRIN; fluorescence detection; persistent organic pollutant; molecular recognition; HEMICRYPTOPHANE; KEPONE; hemicryptophanes; PESTICIDE; chlordecone; CALIXARENES; Persistent Organic Pollutant; Chlordecone; hemicryptophane; Fluorescent cage
• ISSN: 0947-6539; 1521-3765
• DOI: 10.1002/chem.202203887

Chlordecone (CLD), a Persistent Organic Pollutant, is still present in water and food chain of the French West Indies (FWI), leading to dramatical public health problems. One of the major issues is the lack of an easy, non‐expensive, sensitive and robust method for the detection of chlordecone to ensure chlordecone‐free water and foods for the residents of the FWI. This study reports on the development of a fluorescent molecular cage that allows a simple and convenient detection of chlordecone in water at environmental concentration. The specific structural features of chlordecone prompted the choice of hemicryptophanes as receptor. First, the size, shape of the cavity, as well as the recognition units, were optimized to identify the most efficient non fluorescent host for CLD complexation. Then, this selected compound was equipped with fluorophores at different positions in order to find the most efficient system for CLD detection by fluorescence. Among the two most promising fluorescent cages, the newly synthesized hemicryptophane with biphenyl moieties allowed the development of a fast, easy, reproducible and cheap procedure to detect CLD in water. Based on its sensitivity and scalability, with modulation of hemicryptophane, concentration, CLD concentrations were estimated over five orders of magnitude (10−2–103 μg/L) including the environmental levels of contamination and the permissible limit for drinking water in the FWI. Fluorescent cages allow for the detection of the persistent organic pollutant chlordecone in water at environmental concentrations. The reported method is inexpensive, easy to carry out, and of general use for generating many measurements on contaminated water samples. This provides an affordable tool to tackle the major environmental and public health issues associated with chlordecone contamination.