TurningVisions intoReality
™
20
YEARS
THE
RESTEK
ADVANTAGE
Turning Visions into Reality
™
2005
vol.2
in this issue
Rtx®-PCB: UniqueSelectivity for PCBs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1
AccuratelyMonitorMercury-Sulfur-Nitrogen
Compounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3
IdentifyandQuantifyAdulterants inSeizedCocaine . .
4
NewHPLCConfirmationColumn for
ExplosivesAnalysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
Analytical ReferenceMaterials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7
Excellent ProteinSeparations from
Viva™HPLCColumns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8
Survival Kits forHPLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9
ImproveStorageStability for SulfurCompounds . . .
10
AnalysisofNitrofurans inHoney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11
FIDGasStations: FID-1000&NewFID-2500 . . . . . . . .
12
VolatileOrganicCompoundsbyGC/MS . . . . . . . . . . .
12
Instrument Innovations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14
CoolTools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15
Itemsof Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16
RestekGoesWest!
Restekcelebrates contin-
uedgrowth in2005with
theopeningof Restek
West, ournewR&D facili-
ty inShingleSprings,
California. RoyLautamo,
Directorof Innovative
ResearchChemistries,will
manage the facility,
focusingonR&D forour
chromatographycolumn
product lines. Royhasan
extensive rangeof experi-
ence inchromatography,
acquiredovermore than
aquarterof acenturyof
research.
WewelcomeRoyandhis staff into theRestek family!
Correction
In
Advantage
2005v1:
FastGC/MSAnalysisof
SemivolatileOrganicCompounds
, Figure1 (page14) the
splitlesshold timeandpressurepulse timeare
reversed. The splitlesshold time shouldbe0.15min.
and thepressurepulse time shouldbe0.20min.We
apologize for any inconveniencecausedby thiserror.
Rtx®-PCB:UniqueSelectivityforPCBs
110of 158 target PCBCongeners Elute
Individually, UsingGC/ECD
by Gary Stidsen, GC ColumnsMarketingManager
• NEW lowpolarity, inert polymer phaseprovidesdistinct separations
of PCB congeners.
• Unmatched selectivityand lowbleed—a columnof choice for trace
analysis.
• Thermally stable to340ºC.
Rtx®-PCB columns show unique selectivity for polychlorinated biphenyl
(PCB) congeners. In previous publications (lit.# 59925 and Advantage
2005v1, lit.# 59077, page 13), we discussed the excellent performance of this
column and showed each of the European PCB congener indicator com-
pounds -PCBs28,52,101,118,138,153,and180 -canbe resolved fromother,
interferingPCB congeners andquantified, usingGC/MS.
“Weathering”of Aroclor®mixes that have been in the environment formore
than 30 years, and changes in Aroclor® patterns in tissue samples, due to
bioaccumulation, have dictated that PCBs now be reported as congeners,
rather than asAroclor®mixes.Consequently,many laboratories are analyzing
longer listsof PCBcongeners,using thedata indetermining specificcongener
patterns, in compiling congener results to obtain an accurate total PCB con-
centration, and inotherways.
The structure of the
biphenyl molecule is
shown in Figure 1.
Identification
and
quantification of PCB
congeners is chromato-
graphically challenging
because there are 209
possible combinations
in which chlorine
atoms can be added to
the biphenyl structure,
ranging from addition
of a single chlorine (monochlorobiphenyls) to addition at every available car-
bon atom (decachlorobiphenyl). In 1996, George Frame published work he
performed in order to determine which PCB congeners are present in
Aroclor®mixes.¹Using thiswork as a guide, the list of 209possiblePCB con-
geners can be reduced to a target list of 158 congeners. This final target list
includes PCB congeners found inAroclor®mixes above 0.01%wt/wt, and a
few compounds not detected inAroclor®mixes, but detected in tissue due to
Figure1
Biphenyl structure supports 209
PCB congeners,manywithvery similar
retention characteristics.
RoyLautamogliding
over KingsCanyon in
the southernSierra.
