Analysis and some chemical properties of MX (3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone), the potent drinking water mutagen

Summary The solubility of the potent drinking water mutagen 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (MX) in water (50.8, 44.7, 43.7, and 51.0 mg/ml at pH values 2, 5, 7, and 9, respectively) was only slightly dependent on pH, on the contrary to octanol/water partition (log P_ow 1.13, 0.84, –0.44, and –1.02 at pH 2, 5, 7, and 9, respectively). MX was stable in ethyl acetate and acidic water solutions. The recovery of MX during isolation from water or urine samples was about 100% but about 73–82% in the methylation process. The alternative isolation and derivatization methods tested for MX did not give better results.