PPT Level Analysis in the Field using the New Portable Ion-Trap GC/MS & Sample Preparation System Technology

Gal Openhaim, DAS, PerkinElmer, Hod Hasharon, ISRAEL (gal.openhaim@perkinelmer.com)

Over the years, many types of analytical instruments have been reduced to a portable or hand-held format to be used in the field, including XRF, Raman, FT-IR and NIR analyzers. However, shrinking a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) to a field-portable configuration, while maintaining laboratory analytical performance, is a much greater challenge.

Most of the previous attempts have utilized “point-and-shoot” approaches, which have not required any type of sample preparation or sample introduction accessories. For that reason, the practical value of a field-portable instrument is reduced significantly if it necessitates complex sample preparation or delicate procedures are required to introduce the sample into the gas chromatograph.

The capabilities of this GC-MS technology can be further enhanced by the use of a compact, battery-operated, rugged sampling accessory for use in the field. The choice of rapid sampling modules include solid-phase micro extraction (SPME); needle traps (NT) for gaseous samples; together with purge and trap (P&T) and thermal desorption (TD) for liquids, as well as modules for the addition of internal standards (IS).

This lecture will explain the new technology features which allow the analyst to reach PPT level, both qualitative & quantitative, using several in-the-filed sampling techniques, with analysis examples of VOC's, Pesticides, etc.