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Analytica 2016
September 28-30, 2016
Volume 7, Issue 5(Suppl) J Anal Bioanal Tech 2016
ISSN: 2155-9872 JABT, an open access journal
conferenceseries .com
September 28-30, 2016 Orlando, USA
7th International Conference and Exhibition on
Analytical & Bioanalytical Techniques
Yuhui Zhao, J Anal Bioanal Tech 2016, 7:5(Suppl)
Increasing efficiency by using dual detector on VOC analysis with an agilent GC
Yuhui Zhao
Epcor Water Service Canada, Canada
Monitoring volatile organic compounds (VOC) and Disinfection-by-Product such as Trihalomethanes (THM) in water
samples, is one of the major tasks routinely carried out in our laboratory. Due to its low cost, simplicity, high sensitivity
and wide linear range to non-chloronated organic compounds, gas chromatograph with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID)
is always our first choice of instruments. However, FID has its own limitations. The low sensitivity of FID to multi-chlorinated
VOCs may not satisfy the low detection limit requirement. In some cases, these compounds need to be analyzed on a more
sensitive (but specific) detector, such as an Electron Capture Detector (ECD). Further, FID responds to any carbon-containing
organic compounds, and cannot distinguish those co-eluted. Co-eluted compounds are often re-analyzed on a different
instrument (or detector) for confirmation. A significant amount of time and effort was spent on these repeated analyses. To
overcome these difficulties, we used a one-injector, one–column and dual-detector (FID and ECD) configuration. Sample
injected through the inlet, separated by a capillary column, and the effluent is split into two streams. The major stream with
over 95% of the flow directed to the FID, and the minor stream with less than 5% of flow directed to an ECD. Thus, with a
single run, two sets of data are obtained simultaneously. A macro-program was developed in-house to do the data handling.
The program compares the two sets of data and makes judgment on compound identification. Some of the wrongly identified
compound results are automatically converted to the right value. This eliminated the necessity of using a second set of analytical
instruments, or switching the column back and forth between detectors. With this practice, not only time and effort are saved,
but also the certainty in data quality is significantly increased.
Biography
Yuhui Zhao has completed his PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Alberta in 1995. He has been working in a few analytical laboratories for the past
20 years as a Senior Scientist. His research and development interests cover the areas of Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP)-Optical Emission Spectroscopy, ICP-
Mass Spectrometry, GC and GC-Mass Spectrometry. He is currently working as a QA Scientist at Epcor Water Service Inc., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.