Experiments with the LECO Pegasus® Gas Chromatograph/Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer Phase 1: Fast GC Separations and Comparison of the GC/TOF-MS with Conventional Quadrupole GC/MS and Fast Quadrupole GC/MS
Citation:
Campisano, R. Experiments with the LECO Pegasus® Gas Chromatograph/Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer Phase 1: Fast GC Separations and Comparison of the GC/TOF-MS with Conventional Quadrupole GC/MS and Fast Quadrupole GC/MS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-16/120, 2016.
Impact/Purpose:
In this study, the LECO Pegasus® 4D Gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to detect chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and to compare this instrument’s performance to the speed of analysis and detection limits of conventional quadrupole-based GC/MS. Analytes studied were sulfur mustard (HD), sarin (GB), soman (GD), cyclosarin (GF), and O-ethyl-S-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioate (VX) in reagent water, surface water, sand, three types of soils, and wipes.
Description:
Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is the method of choice for the analysis of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds in environmental samples. Most laboratories performing this technique use quadrupole mass spectrometers. The focus of this work was to determine how best to utilize the Gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC/TOF-MS) GC/TOF-MS (with electron ionization) for the analysis of chemical warfare agents.