Analysis of Terpenes in Cannabis with Hydrogen Carrier Gas and the Agilent HydroInert Source on the Agilent 8890/5977C GC/MS

Importance of the Topic

Terpenes are key contributors to the flavor and aroma profiles of cannabis products. Precise terpene profiling underpins quality control, product consistency, and consumer safety. With global helium shortages and rising costs, there is growing interest in adopting hydrogen as a sustainable carrier gas for GC/MS analysis.

Objectives and Study Overview

This work aimed to develop and validate a hydrogen-based gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method on the Agilent 8890 GC and 5977C MSD equipped with the HydroInert source. The method targets 40 terpenes in cannabis flower, delivering performance comparable to conventional helium-driven protocols.

Methodology and Instrumentation

A selective ion monitoring (SIM) approach with liquid injection was employed. Key details include:

• Gas Chromatograph: Agilent 8890 with EPC split/splitless inlet, split ratio 150:1
• Mass Spectrometer: Agilent 5977C MSD with HydroInert EI source (9 mm extractor lens)
• Column: J&W DB-Select 624, 20 m × 0.18 mm × 1.0 µm; hydrogen flow 0.60–0.75 mL/min
• Oven Program: 75 °C initial, ramping to 250 °C over 22.75 min total
• Calibration Standards: SPEX CertiPrep terpene mixes; internal standard 2-fluorobiphenyl

Key Results and Discussion

Calibration spanned 3.83–490.20 µg/mL (up to 1,470.60 µg/mL for select analytes) with quadratic fits and 1/x weighting. All compounds achieved R2 ≥ 0.99. Limits of detection ranged 0.10–0.34 µg/mL and limits of quantitation 0.34–1.13 µg/mL. Accuracy fell between 92.5% and 115.9%, and precision (%RSD) was under 2.7%. Switching to hydrogen reduced the run time to 22.8 min versus 30 min with helium. Analysis of six cannabis flower samples yielded distinct terpene fingerprints, with replicate precision below 5.6%.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Using hydrogen carrier gas lowers analytical costs and mitigates helium supply risks while preserving chromatographic resolution and sensitivity. This method supports rapid terpene profiling for quality assurance, flavor characterization, and compliance testing in cannabis laboratories.

Future Trends and Applications

Advances may include automated sample preparation, integration into high-throughput workflows, expansion to broader volatile organic compound panels, and wider adoption of environmentally friendly chromatographic practices across botanical and food testing.

Conclusion

The hydrogen-based GC/MS method on the Agilent 8890/5977C with HydroInert source offers a robust, sustainable alternative to helium-based protocols for comprehensive terpene analysis in cannabis, delivering reliable quantitation and shorter cycle times.

Reference

1. Agilent Inert Plus GC/MS System with HydroInert Source, publication 5994-4889EN, 2022.
2. Helium to Hydrogen Carrier Gas Conversion Guide, publication 5994-2312EN, 2022.
3. Agilent GC/MS Hydrogen Safety, manual G7006-90053, 2022.
4. Hydrogen Safety for the Agilent 8890 GC System, publication 5994-5413EN, 2022.
5. Hollis J.S. et al., Terpenes Analysis in Cannabis Products by GC/MS, application note 5994-2032EN, 2020.
6. Agilent GC Custom Columns Shop, Agilent Technologies online resource.
7. Patel S.U. et al., Fully Automated Sample Preparation for Terpenes, publication 5994-6007EN, 2023.