Organochlorine pesticide analysis using an Agilent Intuvo 9000 Dual ECD GC system

Importance of the topic

Organochlorine pesticides persist in environmental matrices such as soil, sediment and water, posing long-term ecological and health risks. Accurate quantification of these compounds is critical for assessing contamination and guiding remediation efforts under established regulatory frameworks.

Objectives and study overview

This work evaluates the performance of an Agilent Intuvo 9000 gas chromatography system equipped with dual electron capture detectors and modular flow chips to analyze twenty chlorinated pesticides in compliance with EPA SW-846 Method 8081B. Two analytical methods are compared: a 30-minute high-resolution run and an accelerated 11-minute protocol.

Methodology and instrumentation

The Agilent Intuvo 9000 GC system was configured with:

• Dual pulsed splitless inlet (240 °C, 60 psi hold, 75 mL/min purge)
• Agilent DB-CLP1 (30 m × 320 µm, 0.25 µm) and DB-CLP2 (30 m × 320 µm, 0.50 µm) columns mounted on modular Inert Flow Chips
• Dual electron capture detectors (300 °C, 30 mL/min makeup flow)
• Guard Chip to protect downstream components

A 2 ppm multi-analyte pesticide standard and an endrin/DDT standard were used to assess chromatographic performance and system inertness.

Main results and discussion

• The 30-minute method achieved baseline separation for all 20 target pesticides, with endrin and DDT degradation of 7 % and 2 %, respectively.
• The 11-minute method resolved all analytes in under nine minutes, delivering endrin and DDT breakdown of 8 % and 3 %, though with reduced peak capacity.
• Robustness testing of the fast method showed endrin degradation reached the 15 % threshold after 100 injections; replacement of the inlet liner restored inertness to below 5 %.
• Further run-time reductions are feasible by increasing column flow rates to 6 mL/min.

Benefits and practical applications

The Intuvo 9000 system supports single-run confirmation via dual columns and ECDs, while modular guard and flow chips simplify maintenance and minimize downtime. High-throughput analysis aligned with CLP requirements reduces operational costs and accelerates environmental monitoring.

Future trends and potential applications

• Optimization of flow rates and temperature ramps for even faster separations.
• Integration with automated sampling modules for unattended high-throughput workflows.
• Extension of the method to additional halogenated contaminants and metabolites.
• Coupling with mass spectrometric detectors to enhance selectivity and compound identification.
• Development of portable GC platforms for in-field screening of persistent pollutants.

Conclusion

The Agilent Intuvo 9000 GC system delivers reliable, inert, and high-throughput analysis of organochlorine pesticides per EPA guidelines. Both the 30-minute and 11-minute methods offer adequate resolution and system durability, enabling efficient environmental contaminant quantification.

References

1. Introduction to the Contract Laboratory Program, EPA 540-R-07-02, January 2007.
2. Organochlorine Pesticides by Gas Chromatography, EPA Method 8081B, February 2007.