A compact gas chromatograph and pre-column concentration system for enhanced in-field separation of levoglucosan and other polar organic compounds.
J Chromatogr A 2015;
1417:73-8. [PMID:
26410183 DOI:
10.1016/j.chroma.2015.09.015]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Revised: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Portable and compact instruments for separating and detecting organic compounds are needed in the field for environmental studies. This is especially the case for pollution studies as in-field detection of organic compounds helps identify sources of pollution. Here we describe the development of a compact GC and simple pre-concentrator coupled to a MS detector. This simple system can easily be incorporated into portable instrumentation. Combining the pre-concentrator and compact column has the advantage of decoupling separation from manual injection and enhances separation of environmentally relevant polar organic compounds, such as levoglucosan. A detection limit of 2.2 ng was obtained for levoglucosan. This simple design has the potential to expand the use of gas chromatography as a routine in-field separation technique.
Collapse