Advances in the detection and quantification of trace pollutants

In an article just published in the Journal of Chromatography A, Saer Samanipour reports on technological advances for the detection and quantification of trace organic pollutants in challenging environmental samples such as diesel fuel and lake water, using Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography (GCxGC). This is the first published report of the use of GCxGC coupled to electron capture negative chemical ionization (ENCI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS), which enables confidence target analyte detection at concentration levels much lower than conventional approaches such as mass spectrometry with electron impact ionization. By additionally coupling GCxGC to a micro-electron capture detector (uECD) or flame ionization detector (FID), trace levels of detected pollutants can be separated and confidently quantified. We conduct an in-depth assessment of signal integration methods and real matrix effects for these cutting edge analytical instruments, which increases the confidence and accuracy of target pollutant quantification by GCxGC in real environmental samples.