Screening for Hazardous Chemicals in Homeland Security and Environmental Samples Using a GC/MS/ECD/FPD with a 731 Compound DRS Database Application Note

Response to homeland security or environmental incidents involving hazardous chemicals requires first, the rapid and accurate identification of the chemical agent(s) involved and second, the quantitative measurement of that agent in large numbers of samples to aid in managing the response. Given the unknown nature of the analytes and the complexity of matrices that could be encountered, developing analytical methods for this analysis is challenging. The approach described in this work uses a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) system with a micro-fluidic splitter added to the end of the column. The splitter divides the column effluent between the MS and either a dual-wavelength flame photometric detector (DFPD) or a micro electron-capture detector (μECD) and a single-wavelength FPD. This approach allows the simultaneous collection of MS and two channels of selective GC detector data from a single injection. This multisignal configuration provides: full-scan MS data for library searching, selective ion monitoring (SIM) data for trace analysis, μECD and FPD data for excellent selectivity and sensitivity in complex matrices. The systems use retention time locking (RTL) to produce retention times (RTs) that precisely match those in a 731 compound database of hazardous chemicals. Deconvolution Reporting Software (DRS) is used to provide fast and accurate Screening for Hazardous Chemicals in Homeland Security and Environmental Samples Using a GC/MS/ECD/FPD with a 731 Compound DRS Database