This document outlines the analytical challenges associated with detecting toxic industrial compounds released from sources such as chemical plants and pipelines. It references the U.S. EPA list of Extremely Hazardous Substances to categorize potential target compounds, including organic, inorganic, pesticide, and organometallic substances.
The primary analytical technique discussed is Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). The text explains how GC/MS separates and identifies compounds by vaporizing the sample and analyzing its mass spectrum. It highlights the use of the NIST mass spectral library for automated identification and Agilent's Retention Time Locking (RTL) software for accurate target compound screening.
The compound must be vaporized in an inert atmosphere at temperatures below 350 °C.
Modern GC methods can separate as many as 200 compounds in complex samples.