Utilizing 624 GC Column Selectivity and Low bleed Stationary Phase for the Analysis of Purgeable Volatile Organic Compounds by GC-MS

Drinking Water
Poster Presentation

Prepared by R. Dhandapani
Phenomenex, 411 Madrid Ave, Torrance, California, 90501, United States


Contact Information: ramkumard@phenomenex.com; 310-294-2438


ABSTRACT

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), both synthetic and naturally-occurring are a global environmental concern and can be found in a variety of samples including waste water, drinking water, and ground water. The traditional approach to VOC analysis is GC-MS (Gas Chromatography coupled to a Mass Spectrometer) using purge and trap extraction or an alternative extraction technique based on regulatory adherence. These compounds can potentially cause harm to human health as well as the surrounding environment. As a result, regulatory agencies have set standards for monitoring VOCs in all samples regardless of water source. Due to the varying compositions and range of volatilities of VOCs, a highly selective GC column is required for analysis to provide optimal separation of critical VOCs in a short run time. Additionally, the use of a Mass Spec certified GC column is necessary to reach top performance criteria. An added challenge is method capability to handle various sample matrices as dirtier samples such as wastewater and sludge can greatly decrease column lifetime. The present work provides improvement in separation and baseline to EPA Method 8260 for Volatile Organic Compounds. The highly selective ZB-624PLUS stationary phase allows for identification and quantification of 74 VOCs, while maintaining a rapid analysis time of 15 minutes. The high temperature resistance of 300/320 0C and low bleed provides from ZB-624PLUS GC column provides excellent performance and peak shapes of critical VOCs even after 113 injections of various matrices including groundwater, wastewater, and sludge.