Extraction of Micropollutants From Size-Limited Solid Samples
September 27th 2016The quantitative extraction and subsequent purification of trace contaminants from (semi-)solid environmental and food matrices of regular size (that is, a few grams) is still recognized as a challenging task, typically accomplished through relatively complex off-line multistep treatment procedures. When these conventional sample preparation procedures are applied to the treatment of size-limited samples (of less than 1 g), the difficulties increase. This review discusses the different analytical strategies that can be adopted to overcome (or at least reduce) these difficulties when chromatographic techniques are involved for final instrumental determination.
GC–MS Analysis of Marine Organotin Pollution
September 23rd 2016The ban on organotins has not led to a significant reduction in marine pollution according to research published by the Polish Academy of Sciences. Researchers found unacceptable levels of harmful organotins in the muscle and liver tissues of fish species collected in the Southern Baltic Sea coastal zone exceeding the good environmental status boundaries.
Measuring Carbon Tetrachloride Atmospheric Mixing Ratios in the Central Amazon Rainforest
September 21st 2016Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a potent greenhouse gas in the troposphere, while in the stratosphere it contributes to ozone destruction. Global atmospheric models treat anthropogenic industrial processes as the sole source of atmospheric CCl4. However, some evidence suggests that biogenic sources may also contribute. This article describes grab-sampling with analysis by thermal desorption–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (TD–GC–MS) to assess levels of CCl4 in a Central Amazonian rainforest. We find that ambient air mixing ratios within and above the forest, while agreeing with current equatorial estimates (120 ppt), show diurnal and canopy-height variations that suggest a biogenic source of CCl4, and therefore may be important for closing the gaps in the global atmospheric CCl4 budget.
Cannabis Testing Laboratory Solutions
September 20th 2016When purchasing analytical equipment, it is important to know that you are not just buying an instrument but investing in your lab’s future. Shimadzu not only provides the instrumentation but also the technical knowledge and support to help your lab be successful. We can assist with method development, instrument training, and many other areas of support like maintenance to ensure your systems are constantly operating at an exceptional level. From seed to sale, from accurate cannabis potency profiles to reliable, highly sensitive pesticide screening, let us deliver scalable, turnkey solutions to meet your testing needs for today and tomorrow.
LC-MS/MS Solutions for Comprehensive Cannabis Analysis
September 20th 2016SCIEX instruments have been designed with the production laboratory in mind. Our cannabis method was developed to allow the analysis for potency, pesticides and mycotoxins in one in injection. SCIEX also has a terpene method. All of your method requests for potency, pesticides and terpenes may be accomplished on one instrument.
Getting the Most from Phenyl Stationary Phases for HPLC
September 13th 2016I’ve often written about the “lazy” chromatography which has swept through our industry, whereby 0.1% (w/w or w/v!) TFA or Formic acid is used to “buffer” the eluent system well away from the pKa of analyte molecules, leaving most acidic analytes in the ion suppressed form and most basic analytes in the ionized form. This approach avoids having issues with retention time drift and effectively eliminates pH as a variable used to control retention or selectivity for separations involving ionogenic analytes.
Sunghwan Kim Joins Waters’s COI Programme
September 9th 2016Waters Corporation has welcomed Dr. Sunghwan Kim of Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea, into the Waters Centers of Innovation (COI) programme. Kim’s research focuses on polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the environment, developing and applying analytical techniques to assess their impact.
Detailed Characterization of Essential Oils by Flow-Modulated GC×GC with Tandem Ionization TOF-MS
September 9th 2016This article describes the use of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) and tandem ionization for characterization and comparison of the composition of essential oils, aiding rigorous quality control.