Premium
Various techniques for the mass spectrometric analysis of valatile traces in environmental matrices using a direct‐coupled, paked column
Author(s) -
Hille Jürgen
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
rapid communications in mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1097-0231
pISSN - 0951-4198
DOI - 10.1002/rcm.1290050304
Subject(s) - chemistry , thermal desorption , mass spectrometry , desorption , analytical chemistry (journal) , chromatography , distillation , vacuum distillation , isothermal process , impurity , atmospheric pressure , liquid nitrogen , sample preparation , cold trap , adsorption , organic chemistry , physics , oceanography , thermodynamics , geology
Volatile trace impurities from enviornmental matrices were enriched on a packed column directly coupled to the vacuum system of a mass spectrometer. Traces in gaseous samples (air) were enriched without sample preparation. Traces from liquid samples (water) were separated on‐line by isothermal vacuum distillation, and from solid samples (soil) by vacuum desorption before adsorptive enrichment. Pressure reduction for sample introduction into the high vacuum of the mass spectrometer is realized by decreasing the pressure during enrichment and by cryo‐pumping, in which the packed column is immersed in liquid nitrogen (77 K). Besides the simple thermal desorption of enriched traces into the mass spectrometer, the column can be heated locally for carefully directed desorption of substance zones. Two alternative principles: ‘Frontal Desorption’ and ‘Purging’ are possible. Detection limits of ng/g were achieved for traces of chlorinated and aromatic hydrocarbons in air and water.