Determination of 2-Methylisoborneol, Geosmin and 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole in Drinking Water by Dynamic Headspace Coupled to Selectable 1D/2D GC-MS with Simultaneus Olfactory Detection

A method for the determination of trace amounts of off-flavor compounds such as 2-methyl isoborneol (MIB), geosmin and 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) in drinking water is described based on dynamic headspace coupled to selectable onedimensional or two-dimensional gas chromatography – mass spectrometry with simultaneous olfactory detection (DHS1D/2D GC-O/MS). Automated DHS using a Tenax TA packed tube as…

Using Three Types of Twister Phases for Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction of Whisky, Wine and Fruit Juice

This paper describes a novel ethylene glycol- (EG) and silicone based combined sorbent phase developed for stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) using the GERSTEL Twister™. EG-Silicone, polyacrylate (PA), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Twisters were used separately to perform SBSE on whisky, white wine and multivitamin juice in order to determine the usefulness of these phases for…

Automated QuEChERS Extraction for the Determination of Pesticide Residues in Foods using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

One of the most important aspects of reducing pesticide exposure is monitoring of pesticide residues in foods. A number of analytical methods have been developed, many of them based on traditional liquid-liquid extraction in combination with GC-MS or LC-MS. The QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) sample preparation methods have been developed to…

Determining Phenolic Compounds in Whisky using Direct Large Volume Injection and Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction

In this study, a method was developed for quantitative determination of seven phenolic compounds in scotch whisky. Two different whisky brands were analyzed by Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE), based on novel EG-Silicone Twisters, combined with thermal desorptiongas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). Direct Large Volume Injection (LVI) -GC-MS was used as reference method. Optimized methods for…

Rapid Automated Screening of Extractable Compounds in Materials for Food Packaging, Medical or Technical Purposes

This application note describes two automated methods for screening of extractable compounds from materials for food packaging, medical or technical purposes. The first method is based on automated liquid extraction performed by the GERSTEL MultiPurpose Sampler (MPS), the second involves thermal desorption of the material in question in the GERSTEL Thermal Desorption Unit (TDU). Both…

Qualitative Analysis of Coconut Water Products using Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction Combined with Thermal Desorption-GC/MS

This study shows the analysis of several commercially available coconut water products using a GC/MS system equipped with a versatile autosampler and sample preparation robot capable of performing a wide range of standard sample introduction techniques including thermal desorption. A fast and efficient analysis method based on stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) in combination with…

Solid Phase Micro-Extraction (SPME) Coupled with Selectable 1D/2D GC-MS for the Determination of Food Product Flavors

Identifi cation of important trace components in complex samples like fragrances, natural products, polymers or food products can be challenging. Achieving the mass on column and resolution necessary to locate peaks and identify trace components using a single column chromatographic separation can be difficult, if not impossible. A selectable 1D/2D GC-MS configuration based on Agilent®…

Large Volume Injection with GC/MS Multi Column Switching for Direct Determination of Ethyl Carbamate in Alcoholic Beverages

A procedure is presented for quantification of Ethyl Carbamate at low μg/L levels in distilled spirits. A 100 μL large volume injection was used followed by orthogonal 2-dimensional GC-MS with heartcutting. The direct large volume injection ensured sufficient availability of analyte without an initial sample preparation step, and the 2D step allowed clean elution of…

Automated Solid Phase Extraction (SPE)-LC-MS/MS Method for the Determination of Acrylamide in Brewed Coffee Samples

Acrylamide is thought to be produced during the roasting process associated with coffee production. Acrylamide has been labeled as a probable human carcinogen. Due to the use of roasted coffee beans in making coffee and the high consumption of coffee world-wide, brewed coffee could be a source of daily exposure to acrylamide. Acrylamide determination has…

Automated Determination of Total Fat, Saturated Fat, Monounsaturated Fat and Trans Fat Content in Food Samples

Determination of total fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat and trans fat content in food samples is necessary for complying with applicable food labeling requirements. A typical procedure for saponification of the sample involves refluxing with sodium methoxide in methanol, followed by a second reflux with boron trifluoride in order to esterify the free fatty acids.…

Automated Sample Preparation and Analysis Workflows for Pesticide Residue Screenings in Food Samples using DPX-QuEChERS with LC/MS/MS

QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) sample preparation methods have been developed to help monitor pesticides in a range of food samples. These methods require many manual steps, such as shaking, centrifugation, and dispersive SPE, making it a quite labor-intensive process. There is a need for automating the dispersive SPE technique to clean…

Automated Derivatization, SPE Cleanup and LC/MS/MS Determination of Glyphosate and Other Polar Pesticides

Glyphosate and glufosinate are widely used herbicides and, thus, there is an interest in the reliable and sensitive determination of glyphosate in water and food. These pesticides are difficult to extract and analyze because of their high polarity. In this report, we describe an automated workflow for the FMOC-derivatization, sample cleanup, and LC/MS/MS analysis using…