Evaluation of an improved single-beam gas chromatography/Fourier transform infrared interface for environmental analysis

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Anal. Chem.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ac00146a010· OSTI ID:6044547

Gurka, D F; Titus, R; Griffiths, P R; Henry, D; Giorgetti, A

A prototype, gas chromatography/Fourier transform infrared (GC/FT-IR) light-pipe interface has been constructed and evaluated for environmental analysis. This interface reduces the signal loss, which normally occurs at high light-pipe temperatures, to 20% of that obtained at ambient. By use of this interface, the minimum identifiable quantity (MIQ) was determined for 52 typical environmental contaminants and ranged from 20 to 120 ng. This corresponds to identification limits of 10-60 ppb for a 2-..mu..L gas chromatographic (GC) injection of a 1-L water sample, which has been extracted and the extract concentrated to 1 mL, and 200 ppb to 1 ppm for a 50-g sample treated in a similar fashion. The MIQ's for this interface average about 13 times more sensitive than those measured on the same FT-IR spectrometer equipped with a 1982 vintage commercial interface. It is estimated that capillary gas chromatography/quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC/MS), used in the full scan mode, is now 3 to 34 times more sensitive than the light-pipe GC/FT-IR technique. Gas-phase FT-IR group frequencies of typical environmental contaminants have been provided to allow the use of this new interface as a rapid and sensitive, class-specific screening technique for environmental samples. Weakly absorbing, or overlapping, group frequencies necessitate the use of several confirmatory class-specific frequencies for complex environmental samples.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas, NV
• OSTI ID: 6044547
• Journal Information: Anal. Chem.; (United States), Journal Name: Anal. Chem.; (United States) Vol. 59:19; ISSN ANCHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400102* -- Chemical & Spectral Procedures
400105 -- Separation Procedures
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DATA
ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FOURIER TRANSFORM SPECTROMETERS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
INFORMATION
INFRARED SPECTRA
INTERFACES
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NUMERICAL DATA
POLLUTANTS
QUALITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTRA
SPECTROMETERS
TRACE AMOUNTS