Isolation of an Unknown Compound, from Both Blood of Bhopal Aerosol Disaster Victims and Residue of Tank E-610 of Union Carbide India Limited — Chemical Characterization of the Structure

Abstract

A total of more than 28 chemical entities/reaction products in the form of gases, vapour and particulate matter were reported from the tank E-610 of methyl isocyanate (MIC) storage tank of Union Carbide India Limited on the night of 2/3 December 1984 in Bhopal. In earlier studies, methyl isocyanate and its trimer, with a few other compounds, were reported in the human victims preserved in deep freeze. Randomly selected samples were analysed by gas Chromatograph coupled with mass spectrometer (ITD-800, Finnigan MAT, UK). Four of the cases showed the peaks and fragmentation pattern identified with one of the unidentified compound of molecular weight 269 amu in the Tank Residue, which constituted about 0.2 area per cent on GC-ITD. After isolation by column chromatography and being exposed to characterization, it was identified as a Spiro compound. It was possibly formed by the polymerization of five molecules of methyl isocyanate.