Application Notes: General

Method detection limits (MDLs) have been determined for the newly regulated HON (Hazardous Organic NESHAP (National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants)) compounds, which validate selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) as an effective solution for measuring these toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other environmental pollutants in ambient air, whether at the fenceline or in a mobile setting. SIFT-MS offers unparalleled speed, sensitivity and ease of use for environmental monitoring applications.

A comparison made between a stainless steel hardware column and an INERT column using the same lot of HALO 90 Å C18, 2.7µm results in tailing factor and area improvement using the HALO®INERT column.

Using HALO®Elevate C18 and a high pH mobile phase obtains a great separation of drugs of abuse and metabolites without the use of a specialized stationary phase.

A 16 mer ssDNA poly dT oligonucleotide was analyzed under UV conditions on a HALO®OLIGO C18 column. The results revealed smaller peaks before and after the primary peak of interest.

The positively charged surface chemistry of HALO® PCS Peptide delivers narrower peak width, higher signal response and double the peak capacities compared to standard uncharged peptide materials

Over the course of 5000 injections, the HALO®Elevate C18 1.5 mm ID column demonstrates stability and robustness in the stationary phase and the column hardware, with no significant changes to the retention time, peak shape, and back pressure.

A mix of four antidepressants is separated using the HALO®PCS (positive charged surface) C18 column demonstating the improved tailing factor and efficiency when compared to a traditional (uncharged) C18 stationary phase.

The HALO® OLIGO C18 2.7 µm column outperformed an FPP Oligo C18 column in oligonucleotide separations, achieving faster separations while maintaining efficiencies comparable to a 1.9 µm FPP with more than half the backpressure.

A separation of ultra-short and long chain PFAS (C1-C18) is performed on a HALO®PCS Phenyl-Hexyl column along with a HALO®PFAS Delay column which demonstrates excellent retention for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic analytes.

Sustainability strategies are being integrated into a growing number of businesses and their operations. Laboratories are no exception. Although the necessity to reduce the environmental impact of laboratory operations is recognized, it cannot be disengaged from the economic viability of labs. This article shares ways in which laboratories can improve both their business and environmental sustainability and discusses how the GC 2400™ Platform is helping laboratories flourish in these areas

The potential of smart technologies has evolved into a operational necessity - businesses were faced with the need for remote and automated operations bringing substantial improvements in productivity, efficiency, and operating costs.

More and more regulations regarding PFAS are being implemented with action limits that continue to decrease. Having a harmonized method to accurately determine the PFAS content in food, as well as other matrices, is important to ensuring long-term detection and regulation. The solvent extraction of PFAS from these varied sample matrices can be challenging given the susceptibility to contamination and the low levels in which these compounds are present. This poster, presented at RAFA 2024, examines the PFAS extraction several different food samples as well as food packing matrices.

PFAS have been shown to cause health issues in humans, which means monitoring environmental solid samples, such as soil and tissue, is critical. This application note details the extraction of 40 spiked PFAS compounds from soil and tissue following EPA Method 1633. The automated extraction was less than 10 minutes per sample and yielded acceptable recoveries and RSDs without carryover in the system. The EDGE PFAS is an ideal option for laboratories that want to automate their PFAS extractions of solid samples.

Existing solvent extraction techniques are predominantly manual methods that are not rapid, simple, or efficient. The EDGE PFAS™, an automated solvent extraction system, provides an automated, sequential approach to PFAS extraction. This system performs an efficient extraction of PFAS compounds from challenging food and food packaging matrices in one simple process. Upon completion, the final extract is filtered and ready for any minimal cleanup required, as well as analysis. Excellent recovery with tight reproducibility has been found. The EDGE PFAS method offers a rapid, simple, and efficient solvent extraction solution for PFAS testing.

There are several established PFAS standard methods that specify the use of Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS); however, LC/MS is unable to analyze all PFAS compounds for various reasons. With its ability to analyze these compounds in complex matrices and simplified sample prep, Head-Space Solid Phase Microextraction GC/MS is pivotal as a complementary technique to LC/MS. Download this application for details on a method using GCMS for PFAS identification and quantitation.

This application describes a single laboratory validation study with a rapid extraction of low concentrations of 30 PFAS in shrimp using the QuEChERS technique followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. Results show data met all criteria of AOAC SMPR 2023.003 with high precision, excellent recovery, and low Limit of Quantification (LOQ).

This application news demonstrates the analysis of 46 PFAS and 25 surrogate compounds in solid matrices, such as plastic and foil consumer products, highlighting ongoing efforts to develop a new standardized method with ASTM on PFAS analysis in consumer products. Optimized conditions resulted in a method that eliminates the need for solid phase extraction, therefore significantly reducing cost and time associated with SPE sample preparation.

This article describes how to achieve the optimal separation of oligonucleotides and related impurities efficiently by utilizing LabSolutions MD, a dedicated software for supporting method development that can automate the entire workflow, including the generation of analysis schedule, the mobile phases preparation, and the data processing.

The composition and purity of the carbonic esters and additives in electrolytes are critical factors for maintaining battery quality and performance. This application shows how the compact, yet rugged Brevis GC-2050 can easily conduct this routine analysis, achieving high separation performance and good repeatability, and demonstrating its effectiveness as an easy-to-use tool for this essential QC analysis.

Optimizing analytical conditions through numerous analyses and data processing can be time-consuming. LabSolutions MD, a dedicated software for supporting method development, automates the entire workflow, including generating analysis schedules, preparing mobile phases, and processing the data. This application describes how to efficiently find the best separation conditions for peptides and related impurities utilizing LabSolutions MD through both screening and optimization phases.

Strategies to screen and develop a preparative HPLC method and its up-scaling for purification of CBD from Cannabis extract

This paper demonstrates a sensitive and reliable method for speciating between toxic hexavalent chromium and non-toxic trivalent chromium in water using IC-ICP-MS.

This application note presents an advanced analytical system for the sensitive detection of trace-level air toxics in humid ambient air samples, in accordance with US EPA Method TO-15A. The cryogen-free preconcentration and thermal desorption approach, coupled to GC-MS, delivers exceptional chromatographic performance even for highly volatile and polar compounds. The system meets the stringent detection limit requirements of the latest air monitoring regulations, with method detection limits as low as 0.7 pptv. This innovative analytical solution provides a robust, cost-effective platform for the reliable quantification of hazardous air pollutants, enabling compliance with regulatory standards.

This application note explores an efficient, helium-free method for continuous monitoring of ozone precursors in ambient air, aligned with EPA PAMS requirements. By using hydrogen as the carrier gas, this approach achieves faster run times, stable retention times, and effective separation of volatile organic compounds. A case study from New York City highlights the system's performance in urban air quality monitoring, capturing shifts in pollutant levels during periods of reduced traffic. With remote operability and cryogen-free functionality, this method offers a reliable and sustainable solution for real-time air quality analysis in both urban and remote environments.

This application note demonstrates the use of high through-put automated thermal desorption (TD) coupled with GC-MS/MS for comprehensive PFAS measurement in indoor air. The method enables accurate quantification of a wide range of PFAS compounds, including neutral and volatile species, down to ultra-trace levels. Applying this approach, the study profiled PFAS contamination across different indoor environments, from workplaces to residences. When using sampling chambers to test materials, the PFAS they release into the indoor air can be identified, along with quantifying the emission rate of such releases.

This application note outlines a cryogen-free approach to collect and analyse ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and halogenated greenhouse gases (GHGs) in 100% humidity ambient air. The system uses automated canister sampling, a Nafion dryer for water vapour management, and GC-MS with selected ion monitoring to quantify 34 target compounds. The method achieves detection limits in the 0.08-0.30 ppt range, with good linearity, precision, and accuracy, meeting international requirements for monitoring these critical substances. The cryogen-free design and ability to handle highly humid samples make this a flexible and efficient solution for industrial ODS and GHG monitoring worldwide.

This study demonstrates the performance of thermal desorption (TD) analysis for the monitoring of 'air toxic' compounds according to US EPA Method TO-17. The results show excellent precision, linearity, and low method detection limits for all 65 target compounds across a wide volatility range. Key capabilities highlighted include the ability to re-collect and re-analyse split samples, as well as determining safe sampling volumes through breakthrough testing. The application of TD-GC-MS for trace-level air toxics analysis is shown to be a robust and reliable technique, meeting the stringent requirements of the US EPA method.

This application note outlines an analytical approach that meets the stringent requirements of EPA Method 327 for monitoring ethylene oxide and other hazardous air pollutants. The key innovation is the ability to achieve the required sensitivity without the need for liquid cryogen cooling, enabling more cost-effective and productive monitoring. Highlights include a 10 ppt method detection limit for ethylene oxide, effective management of sampling bias and chromatographic interferences, and straightforward method transfer between laboratories. The flexible, cryogen-free preconcentration system enables large-volume sampling to boost sensitivity while simplifying operation, making it an attractive solution for implementing the new EPA method.