A new fully automated thermal desorption (TD)-GC/MS method was developed for determination of formaldehyde and other airborne carbonyls as well as VOCs for material emission testing. The method includes an automated in-situ derivatization agent loading step prior to every sampling step, thus blank values are avoided. Pentafl uorophenylhydrazine (PFPH) was used as derivatization agent and was automatically loaded onto Tenax TA adsorbent using a dynamic headspace (DHS) technique.

A new fully automated thermal desorption (TD)-GC/MS method was developed for determination of formaldehyde and other airborne carbonyls as well as VOCs for material emission testing. The method includes an automated in-situ derivatization agent loading step prior to every sampling step, thus blank values are avoided. Pentafl uorophenylhydrazine (PFPH) was used as derivatization agent and was automatically loaded onto Tenax TA adsorbent using a dynamic headspace (DHS) technique.

In metabolomics studies, large sample sets have to be analyzed to allow statistical differentiation of sample types. Obviously, repeatability of the whole analytical workflow, including sample preparation, sample introduction, separation and detection, is extremely important in order to achieve such a differentiation. Automating the sample preparation workflow is a very useful first step towards reducing analytical variability.

In metabolomics studies, large sample sets have to be analyzed to allow statistical differentiation of sample types. Obviously, repeatability of the whole analytical workflow, including sample preparation, sample introduction, separation and detection, is hereby of the utmost importance. In this respect, automation of the sample preparation is very useful in order to reduce the analytical variability.

The in vitro metabolic stability of potential drug candidates is routinely examined at an early stage of drug discovery. Metabolic stability is a simple, well-established screening technique used to predict the in vivo hepatic clearance of a drug based on due to metabolism. With the ever-increasing chemical libraries, today’s drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic (DMPK) laboratories are constantly being asked to increase the number of molecules that can be assayed to decrease the time needed to identify lead drug candidates.

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 ethyl carbamate and it’s labelled internal standard and compensated for the difficult detection of low mass non-specific ions in a complex matrix. The 2D separation was achieved using the new GERSTEL μFlow- Manager based on metal ferrules for simple connection of the orthogonal columns.

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 worldwide, brewed coffee could be a source of daily exposure to acrylamide. Acrylamide determination has been shown to be challenging due to presence of coextractives in the final extract. Manual solid phase extraction followed by LC-MS/MS analysis has been reported as a successful method for the determination of acrylamide from brewed coffee samples.

This method uses a QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) single-step acetonitrile (ACN) extraction and salting out liquid-liquid partitioning to extract PAHs from seafood tissue. Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE) is then used as a combined cleanup and concentration step, eliminating organic acids and other polar and high molecular weight matrix components and providing a substantial concentration factor to easily meet regulatory limits of detection and requirements established for precision and accuracy for determination of PAHs in seafood tissue.

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and the subsequent massive oil spill is expected to be the worst offshore oil catastrophe in United States history and is now beginning to impact fragile ecosystems, air and water quality, and food supplies.

Aflatoxins are metabolites from molds such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus Parasiticus. Aflatoxins are classified as mycotoxins, they are among the most potent human carcinogens, found mainly in foods and feed of plant origin. High concentrations of aflatoxins have been found, for example, in pistachios, figs and cereals and aflatoxins have also been found in dairy products. Due to the high toxicity of aflatoxins, EU legislation specifies very low acceptable daily intakes and maximum residue limits (0.05-15 μg/kg).