Preparation of some chlorine-38 labelled chlorinated hydrocarbons by neutron irradiation and gas chromatography

The preparation of chlorine-38 labelled chlorinated hydrocarbons for use in metabolic investigations with human subjects was investigated. Samples of methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, ethylene dichloride, acetylene tetrachloride, methyl chloroform, trichloroethylene and tetrachloreothylene were irradiated with thermal neutrons and the yield of radioactive organic material measured in each case. The radioactive organic reaction products were separated and identified by gas chromatography and their overall yields determined. The yield of the radioactive parent material varied from 9 per cent in the case of methyl chloroform to 36 per cent for tetrachloroethylene.