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From: adams@uiucdcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: Dioxin molecular structure? - (nf)
Message-ID: <2365@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 7-Jul-83 23:28:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.2365
Posted: Thu Jul  7 23:28:00 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 9-Jul-83 18:39:24 EDT
Lines: 42

#R:ihlts:-15900:uiucdcs:24400032:000:1828
uiucdcs!adams    Jul  7 09:15:00 1983


The following is quoted (w/o permission) from the July 6 NY Times, which in
turn got it (presumably with permission) from Chemical & Engineering News,
June 6, 1983.

Does the first sentence imply that there are lots of flavors of dioxin?
Rob Adams (217) 333 3536 {ihnp4,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!adams
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


"One Way Dioxn is Formed"
The compound known as 2,3,7,8 TCDD, apparently the most toxic of the 75
possible chlorinated dioxins, can result from a two-part reaction in the
manufacture of TCP, a comman chemical intermediate in the manufacture of
herbicides. (Diagrams are not intended to show actual shape of molecules
or location of paticular atoms.) 


A molecule of 2,3,7,8 TCDD             ------------------------------------
consists of two benzene rings, each   |Cl       C       O       C       Cl |
with six carbon atoms, bound together |   \   /  \\   /   \   /   \\  /    |
together by two oxygen atoms.  Two    |     C       C       C       C      |
chlorine atoms are attached to each   |     ||      |       ||      |      |
ring.                                 |     C       C       C       C      |
                                      |   /   \  //   \   /   \   //  \    |
                                      |Cl       C       O       C       Cl |
                                       ------------------------------------

(From here on out, I am \not/ going to try to represent the pics, buy
the Times to see what it looks like. R)

In a reaction of two TCP molecules, each of which has hree chlorine atoms,
one oxygen atom and, as shown here, an atom of soduim, under the influences
of temperature and pressure, a molecule of sodium chloride is lost.

Almost immediately, the resultant combination then loses one more molecule
of sodium chloride. . .

. . .leaving a molecule of 2,3,7,8 TCDD.