Separation of EU and EPA Regulated PAHs on Agilent J&W FactorFour VF-17ms Column

Importance of the topic

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely monitored due to their toxicity and prevalence in environmental and food samples. Different regulatory bodies (EU and EPA) define distinct PAH lists, making comprehensive separation methods essential for compliance and accurate risk assessment.

Objectives and study overview

This application note aims to develop and demonstrate a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method on an Agilent J&W FactorFour VF-17ms column that resolves all PAHs regulated by both EU and EPA, including challenging isomeric and isobaric compounds.

Methodology and instrumentation

The separation employed GC/MS in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode using the following conditions:

• Column: VF-17ms (30 m × 0.25 mm, 0.15 µm film thickness)
• Carrier gas: Helium, constant flow 1 mL/min
• Oven program: 70 °C (1 min) → 40 °C/min to 180 °C → 2.5 °C/min to 245 °C → 2.0 °C/min to 270 °C (10 min) → 8.0 °C/min to 350 °C (5 min)
• Injector: 300 °C, splitless, 1 µL injection of ~1 µg/mL sample
• Detector: Quadrupole MS with electron ionization (EI), ion source 275 °C, transfer line 300 °C

Main results and discussion

The optimized program achieved baseline resolution of all 27 regulated PAHs. Three sets of challenging analytes were addressed:

• m/z 226/228 pair: Benz(a)anthracene, cyclopenta(c,d)pyrene, chrysene, triphenylene – resolved chromatographically despite overlapping mass fragments.
• m/z 252 isomers: Benzo(b), benzo(j), and benzo(k)fluoranthene – separated by optimized temperature ramps.
• m/z 276/278 pair: Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, benzo(b)triphenylene, dibenz(a,h)anthracene – clear distinction achieved along the high-temperature segment.

Co-elution of triphenylene with chrysene may lead to false positives and should be monitored carefully.

Benefits and practical applications

This method offers comprehensive analysis of both EU and EPA PAH lists in a single run, supporting environmental monitoring, food safety testing, and regulatory compliance. The approach simplifies laboratory workflows by avoiding multiple methods for different regulatory sets.

Future trends and possibilities

Emerging advances may include two-dimensional GC separations, faster temperature programming, high-resolution MS detection, and automated sample preparation to further improve throughput and selectivity in PAH analysis.

Conclusion

The Agilent J&W FactorFour VF-17ms column, when paired with the described oven program, reliably separates all EU and EPA regulated PAHs. Careful monitoring of co-eluting isomers ensures accurate quantitation and compliance.

References

• Report Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, Sixty-fourth meeting, Rome, 8–17 February 2005.
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) factsheet, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements.