skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Design concepts and performance criteria in the development of a compact, person-portable GC/MS system

Conference ·
OSTI ID:231013
; ; ;  [1]; ; ; ; ; ;  [2]
  1. Viking Instruments, Chantilly, VA (United States)
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States). Forensic Science Center

The use of GC/MS for the separation, identification, and quantification of organic compounds has grown tremendously. The gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC/MS) technique has established itself as a definitive analytical tool for the determination of unknown compounds in a variety of matrices. In the spring of 1991, Viking Instruments introduced a commercial transportable GC/MS system with fieldable capabilities for on-site screening as well as more extensive laboratory-quality sample analysis (Definitive or EPA Level 3). The demonstrated field utility of these systems, combined with advances in power supply and vacuum pump designs, has resulted in a desire to build these powerful systems even smaller without compromising data quality. Workers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) recognized early the utility of the small GC/MS systems for a variety of analyses. LLNL was and is currently specifically interested in chemical warfare treaty verification and defense environmental restoration work and began to design a portable GC/MS in parallel with Viking. Over the past year the authors have combined their resources and talents in designing and constructing a GC/MS system that represents a more advanced state than either of their individual efforts. This system is hardware-configurable depending on particular analysis requirements and yet will provide a data acquisition and analysis software platform similar to that found in state-of-the-art laboratory-based systems.

OSTI ID:
231013
Report Number(s):
CONF-950209-; TRN: IM9623%%323
Resource Relation:
Conference: 4. international symposium on field screening methods for hazardous wastes and toxic chemicals, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 22-24 Feb 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Field screening methods for hazardous wastes and toxic chemicals. VIP-47, Volume 1; PB: 733 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English