The Column-06-21-2010

Waters and the University of Maryland are establishing an international training laboratory to teach scientists from foreign governments and manufacturers the state-of-the-art analytical methods used to meet US food safety standards.

It is estimated that up to 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are stubbed, flicked and dropped every year. With few practical uses, any attempt at recycling the remains has been difficult; however a study published in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research proposes using them to prevent steel corrosion and could turn this trash into a tiny treasure.

Peas, beans and some other plant seeds contain proteins, called globulins, which have been shown to act as a defence against insects and other herbivores. Coffee beans contain large amounts of globulins, so scientists in Brazil studied the beans to assess their potential for warding off insects.

A study performed by researchers from the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies and the University of Almeria, Spain, has revealed the presence of 88 pollutants in the river waters of Madrid. The research, published in the Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, found that while compounds are to a great extent eliminated at wastewater treatment plants, a fraction remains in the river water.

The introduction of a new range of capillary GC columns substantially reduces column bleed, increases inertness and offers unparalleled injection-to-injection and batch-to-batch reproducibility.

This quality control of bioethanol verifies maximum concentrations of methanol, higher alcohols and other impurities in bioethanol.

Incognito allows us to see into his little black book of GC facts.