Improvement in the EPA 8270 Active Semivolatiles Analysis by GC/FID Using Agilent Ultra Inert Liners

Importance of the Topic

The analysis of active semi-volatile organic compounds under EPA Method 8270 demands an exceptionally inert gas chromatography (GC) flow path. Active analytes such as acids, bases and nitroaromatics can interact with surfaces in the inlet liner, column and detector, leading to peak tailing, signal loss and poor calibration linearity. Enhancing inlet liner deactivation is therefore critical to achieve reliable, sensitive and reproducible results in environmental, QA/QC and industrial laboratories.

Objectives and Scope

This study evaluates the performance of Agilent Ultra Inert splitless liners—with and without glass wool—when applied to the GC/FID analysis of eleven EPA 8270 active semi-volatiles. Key goals include assessing:

• Linearity over 2–80 ng on column
• Detection sensitivity and response factors
• Injection-to-injection repeatability (n=100)
• Thermal stability at 330 °C over a 10-day period
• Liner-to-liner reproducibility across production lots

Methodology and Instrumentation

All experiments used an Agilent GC system equipped with an FID detector and 7683B autosampler. Splitless injections (1 µL) were performed at 250 °C with a 50 mL/min purge at 0.75 min (0.75 min for liners without wool, 1.5 min for liners with wool). Chromatographic separation employed an Agilent Ultra 2 column (25 m × 0.32 mm, 0.52 µm) under He flow at 3 mL/min. Two deactivated liners were compared: Ultra Inert splitless liner without wool (p/n 5190-2292) and with wool (p/n 5190-2293). Calibration standards of eleven active semi-volatiles and isotopic internal standards were prepared in methylene chloride at 2, 5, 20, 40 and 80 µg/mL.

Main Results and Discussion

· Linearity: Both liner types delivered R² ≥ 0.999 over 2–80 ng. 2,4-DNP exhibited superior response stability before and after 100 injections.
· Sensitivity: Average response factors for key analytes remained high and consistent; RSDs were below 6 % for 5 ng injections.
· Repeatability: Injection-to-injection RSDs were below 7 % across all active analytes (n=100) with wool liners.
· Thermal Stability: Less than 8 % drift in response observed during 10 days at 330 °C.
· Reproducibility: Lot-to-lot variation in response factors was under 5 %, demonstrating manufacturing consistency.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Agilent Ultra Inert liners significantly reduce analyte adsorption and activity, improving peak shape, sensitivity and calibration reliability for active semi-volatile analyses. Their robust thermal stability and repeatability support high-throughput environmental and QA/QC workflows with minimal downtime.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Emerging deactivation chemistries and material coatings could further enhance inertness. Integration of Ultra Inert liners with advanced detectors (e.g., GC–MS/MS) and trace-level applications will expand their utility in environmental monitoring, forensic and pharmaceutical analysis.

Conclusion

Agilent Ultra Inert splitless liners—especially those with glass wool—provide exceptional inertness, linearity, repeatability and thermal durability for EPA 8270 active semi-volatile analyses by GC/FID. Their consistent performance across injections and production lots ensures reliable quantitative results for demanding analytical applications.

Reference

Limian Zhao, David Mao, Mitch Hastings, Alan Broske, Allen Vickers, Lindy Miller. "Improvement in the EPA 8270 Active Semivolatiles Analysis by GC/FID Using Agilent Ultra Inert Liners," Pittcon 2011, Poster 2130-16P.