GC × GC--A New Analytical Tool For Environmental Forensics
Titel:
GC × GC--A New Analytical Tool For Environmental Forensics
Auteur:
Frysinger, Glenn S. Gaines, Richard B. Reddy, Christopher M.
Verschenen in:
Environmental forensics
Paginering:
Jaargang 3 (2002) nr. 1 pagina's 27-34
Jaar:
2002
Inhoud:
Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography, GC ×GC, is a new analytical tool with a tremendous capability to separate and identify organic compounds in complex environmental samples. GC ×GC uses two different chromatography columns coupled serially by a modulator to produce a volatility by polarity separation and distribute compound peaks across a two-dimensional retention time plane. The two-dimensional separation produces an order of magnitude more resolved peaks than traditional GC methods. The grouping or ordering of the peaks in the GC ×GC chromatogram facilitates the identification of unknown compounds and the comparison of complex environmental samples. When a mass spectrometer detector is used, each resolved GC ×GC peak yields a single-component, interference-free mass spectrum that leads to accurate matching with mass spectral libraries. GC ×GC examination of marine sediment extracts identified a wide variety of chemical contaminants including polychlorinated biphenyls, p -nonylphenol isomers, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzotriazoles, and the alkane, cycloalkane, alkylbenzene, alkylnaphthalene, and biomarker fractions of petroleum. The two-dimensional GC ×GC chromatogram image permits rapid screening of the sediment extracts for these and other unknown contaminants.