Shigeru Terabe Receives Arnold O. Beckman Medal
July 11th 2017Shigeru Terabe has received the Arnold O. Beckman Medal and Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievements in the Field of Electro-Drive Separation Techniques. The Sciex sponsored award was presented to Terabe as part of a Special Award Plenary Session at the 33rd International Symposium on Microscale Bioseparations (MSB 2017).
The LCGC Blog: Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography - Practical Insights
July 10th 2017Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography can be a very useful tool in our analytical armory, however there are some practical peculiarities to this chromatographic mode which need to be understood in order to ensure success.
Rapid Perfluorinated Alkyl Acid Analysis by LC–MS/MS Increases Sample Throughput
July 1st 2017• Raptor C18 SPP 5 μm core-shell silica particle columns offer excellent resolution for fluorochemicals with short total cycle times. For even faster analysis, 2.7 μm core-shell particles are available. • Meets EPA Method 537 requirements. • Unique, robust Raptor C18 column design increases instrument uptime.
Effects of External Influences on GC Results
July 1st 2017Small differences in process gas chromatography (GC) results from the same sample stream over time can indicate corresponding changes in target analyte concentrations, or the fluctuations might be due to external influences on the instrument. This instalment of ”GC Connections” explores ways to examine such results and better understand their significance.
Rapid Perfluorinated Alkyl Acid Analysis by LC–MS/MS Increases Sample Throughput
July 1st 2017Perfluorinated alkyl acids are man-made fluorochemicals used as surface-active agents in the manufacture of a variety of products, such as firefighting foams, coating additives, textiles, and cleaning products. They have been detected in the environment globally and are used in very large quantities around the world. These fluorochemicals are extremely persistent and resistant to typical environmental degradation processes. As a result, they are widely distributed across the higher trophic levels and are found in soil, air, groundwater, municipal refuse, and landfill leachates. The toxicity, mobility, and bioaccumulation potential of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in particular, pose potential adverse effects for the environment and human health.
The Rapid Determination of Mycotoxins by LC–MS/MS
July 1st 2017Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by several species of fungi and are considered one of the most significant contaminants of agricultural commodities, both in the field and in storage. Agricultural products that may be affected include cereals, spices, dried fruits, and various nuts. Although hundreds of mycotoxins are known, relatively few are considered to pose a significant health risk. Aflatoxins, in particular aflatoxin B1, are genotoxic and carcinogenic and may cause liver cancer in humans, whilst ochratoxin A and the trichothecenes HT-2 and T-2 can cause various toxic effects. Monitoring and control of certain mycotoxins is important within the food industry because of their potential toxicity at low levels to both humans and animals.
The Effect of Draw-Out Lens Diameter on Sensitivity of GC–MS Analysis
July 1st 2017Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) allows isolation and identification of individual analytes within a complex mixture. Helium has traditionally been the first-choice carrier gas, owing to its inertness, performance, and relatively cheap price. Since 2001, however, helium has become increasingly expensive with a reported global increase in price of 500% between 2001 and 2016 (1). In 2012–2013, the global helium shortage increased the number of GC users switching to alternative carrier gases and improved the availability of information on their use.
Determination of Pesticides in Coffee with QuEChERS Extraction and Silica Gel SPE Cleanup
July 1st 2017Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, partly because of the stimulating effect of its caffeine content. Like most crops, the application of pesticides in coffee cultivation is a common practice to increase production yields. This application note details an optimized method for the extraction and cleanup of pesticide residues from coffee using a QuEChERS extraction procedure followed by a silica gel solid-phase extraction (SPE) cleanup.
On-Line MALS-QELS (Quasi‑Elastic Light Scattering)
July 1st 2017While on-line multi-angle light scattering (MALS) is one of the most important techniques for macromolecular characterization, it can be made even more versatile with the addition of a quasielastic light scattering (QELS, a.k.a. dynamic light scattering) module for determination of hydrodynamic radius. QELS can be added to a Wyatt MALS system as a WyattQELS™ module embedded in the MALS instrument, or by connecting the MALS flow cell to a batch DLS instrument such as a DynaPro® NanoStar® or Mobius® via optical fibre. The QELS instruments can be used to determine the hydrodynamic radius, rh , for a variety of samples in a continuous‑flow mode. The combined MALS-QELS system will measure simultaneously rg, rh, and the absolute molar mass.