A method for the determination of trace amounts of off-flavor compounds such as 2-methyl isoborneol (MIB), geosmin and 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) in drinking water is described based on dynamic headspace coupled to selectable one-dimensional or two-dimensional gas chromatography - mass spectrometry with simultaneous olfactory detection (DHS-1D/2D GC-O/MS). Automated DHS using a Tenax TA packed tube as trap was performed on a 10 mL-sample containing 30 % NaCl at 80 ºC, and followed by thermal desorption of the trap.

Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE) is an innovative and efficient method [1] for the extraction of drugs and pharmaceuticals from blood-, urine- and tissue samples in a forensic toxicology laboratory. As shown in this application note and earlier publications [2,3,4], SBSE is an effective screening tool for drugs and pharmaceuticals in biological fluids and tissue.

Fruit and vegetable extracts that are produced following the well established QuEChERS method [1,2] typically contain a significant amount of involatile matrix material. After several injections of such extracts into the GC, sufficient matrix residue will be present in the GC inlet liner to lower or sometimes even increase the response of certain pesticide compounds affecting the accuracy of the analysis. The performance can be restored by exchanging the GC inlet liner. Normally this has to be done manually which means stopping the analysis sequence.

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and the subsequent massive oil spill is expected to be the worst offshore oil catastrophe in United States history and is now beginning to impact fragile ecosystems, air and water quality, and food supplies.

This method uses a QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) single-step acetonitrile (ACN) extraction and salting out liquid-liquid partitioning to extract PAHs from seafood tissue. Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE) is then used as a combined cleanup and concentration step, eliminating organic acids and other polar and high molecular weight matrix components and providing a substantial concentration factor to easily meet regulatory limits of detection and requirements established for precision and accuracy for determination of PAHs in seafood tissue.

Direct injection for gas chromatographic profiling of alcoholic beverages is usually preferable, but where spirits and liquors contain appreciable amounts of non-volatile material, some mode of pre-treatment may be required to avoid both inlet and column contamination. This consideration applies in particular to products aged for extended periods in wooden barrels and especially products containing added sugar, as volatile artefacts from sugar decomposition in the hot injection port can also complicate the chromatogram.

USP Residual Solvents [1] is a general chapter in the US Pharmacopeia that describes a headspace gas chromatographic method for the determination of residual solvents in pharmaceutical products, active ingredients, and excipients. As originally written, it described parameters used with balanced-pressure or pressure loop based headspace instruments. Recent updates [2] have included parameters for syringe based systems.

Accurate qualitative and quantitative analysis of perfumed or flavored products is essential to the flavor and fragrance industry. Especially when unknown samples need to be analyzed traditional methods of GC analysis often lead to only vague results and often require time consuming and cumbersome sample preparation techniques such as solvent extraction (liquid/liquid, Soxhlet, Likens-Nickerson).

A novel stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) procedure termed sequential SBSE was developed. Compared to conventional SBSE, sequential SBSE provides more uniform enrichment over the entire polarity/volatility range for organic pollutants at ultra-trace levels in water. Sequential SBSE consists of a SBSE performed sequentially on a 5-mL sample first without modifier using one stir bar, then on the same sample after addition of 30 % NaCl using a second stir bar.

Static (equilibrium) headspace sampling is commonly used for GC determination of volatiles in solid and liquid samples. Since this technique relies on the analyte partitioning between the sample and headspace and uses a fixed injection volume it may not provide adequate detection limits, particularly for higher molecular weight, higher boiling analytes, and for polar analytes in aqueous samples.