LCGC Europe-03-01-2004

A novel device for coupling on-line in-tube SPME with capillary GC is presented by the guest authors and the method's application demonstrated for the analysis of contaminants in water.

A fast and easy-to-use method for the identifcation and determination of active anionic ingredients in toothpaste is presented using ion chromatography in combination with electrospray mass spectrometry. In this application, positive identification of glycerol, sorbitol, chloride, fluoride, sulphate, monofluorophosphate and polyphospates, in addition to citrate and saccharin, is achieved in one chromatographic run with a total analysis time of 22 min.

In the second instalment of this newly introduced column, Michael Balogh looks at resolution and mass accuracy as important considerations for determining the suitability of a mass spectrometer for an intended purpose.

In this month's column, the authors present a relatively simple method for selecting the appropriate curve-fitting function and thus ensure that the requirements of current guidelines can be met.