GC/MS Department

GC/MS is an acronym for gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry, the state-of-the-art instrumentation for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of low level organic pollutants.  Analyses are performed on a wide variety of matrices including soils, waters, sludges, oils and solvents.  The environmental target analyses done by the GC/MS section include organic priority pollutants, EPA hazardous substance list (CLP list) and Skinner list (refinery residuals).  The qualitative power of the GC/MS is routinely used to screen hazardous waste samples for disposal decision making.

GC Department

The chromatography section uses gas chromatographs (GC) to quantify a wide variety of organic contaminants.  By combining a variety of sample introduction techniques, sensitive and precise quantitation of many organic contaminants can be efficiently accomplished.  The use of chromatographic separation techniques with selective detectors can achieve low parts per billion detection limits for many organic compounds of environmental concern.  Typical analyte groups in this area are purgeable aromatics (BTEX-GRO) and DRO.  In addition to the trace level environmental contaminants, the chromatography section performs the challenging task of characterizing waste streams for target organic constituents so that appropriate disposal procedures can be chosen.