The document describes the optimal design for a mass spectrometer vacuum pump cover that reduces pump noise and facilitates oil changes. It also provides information on GC column selection and best practices for successful PAH analysis, as well as factors to consider in optimizing PAH analyses results.
The document addresses the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which form from incomplete combustion of organic fuels like coal, petroleum, and wood. It highlights the regulatory differences between European Union 15+1 and US-EPA lists regarding PAH contamination in food supplies versus environmental sources.
The text focuses on selecting appropriate capillary GC columns for these analytes, comparing non-polar phases (effective for lower boiling compounds) with moderately polar phases (better for heavier EU-listed compounds). It specifically evaluates the Agilent J&W DB-EUPAH and DB-5ms columns for resolving complex mixtures of PAHs.
The Agilent J&W DB-EUPAH column resolves combined EU and US-EPA regulated PAHs in under 28 minutes.
The Agilent J&W DB-5ms column resolves 23 of 24 EU and US-EPA regulated PAHs in under 22 minutes.