Agilent GC/MS poster compendium for ASMS

Importance of Topic

Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS) remains a cornerstone in analytical chemistry, offering unparalleled selectivity and sensitivity across diverse applications. Leveraging advanced GC/MS systems enhances detection of trace analytes, ensures regulatory compliance, and drives innovation in fields from environmental monitoring to pharmaceutical safety.

Objectives and Study Overview

This compendium showcases Agilent’s intelligence-driven GC/MS solutions presented at ASMS, highlighting robust workflows and novel techniques tailored to five key application areas: energy and chemicals, environmental, forensic toxicology, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical analyses. It aims to illustrate performance gains, workflow optimisations, and data insight capabilities.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Key methodologies and workflows include:

• Automated sample preparation (PAL3 RTC) for semivolatile organics and organochlorine pesticides.
• Use of hydrogen as a sustainable carrier gas to reduce interferences and resource consumption.
• Ultra-low bleed columns and high-efficiency ion sources to improve sensitivity and robustness.
• High-resolution GC/Q-TOF screening for PFAS, PCBs, PBDEs and emerging pollutants.
• MRM-based triple quadrupole techniques for rapid, multiplexed trace analyses.

Used Instrumentation

Instrumentation featured across applications:

• Agilent 5977C GC/MSD
• Agilent 7000E, 7010D GC/TQ
• Agilent 7250 GC/Q-TOF
• PAL3 RTC sample preparation platform
• Agilent MassHunter software suite

Main Results and Discussion

Energy & Chemicals: Improved detection of extractables, leachables, and phthalates in complex matrices with reduced runtimes and enhanced sensitivity.
Environmental: Single-workflow GC/MS/MS analysis of 140 compounds in under 21 minutes, automated EPA 8270E compliance, and PFAS screening using accurate-mass GC/Q-TOF.
Forensic Toxicology: A curated MRM database for 175 toxicants accelerates method development and trace-level quantitation in legal investigations.
Food & Beverage: Robust GC/MS/MS methods for over 200 pesticides in tea, allergy allergen profiling via GC×GC high-resolution MS, and PFAS analysis in contact materials.
Pharmaceutical: Nitrosamine impurity quantitation in drug products using hydrogen carrier gas and comprehensive E&L screening in medical devices with spectral deconvolution.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Enhanced throughput and reduced analysis times.
• Lower detection limits and improved quantitation accuracy.
• Streamlined workflows via automation and method translation.
• Reduced environmental footprint through sustainable carrier gases and resource optimisation.

Future Trends and Potential Uses

Integration of advanced informatics, expanded high-resolution libraries for emerging contaminants, greater automation in sample handling, and broader adoption of green analytical methods will further position GC/MS as a versatile tool for next-generation analytical challenges.

Conclusion

Agilent’s GC/MS solutions demonstrate that combining cutting-edge hardware, sustainable practices, and intelligent software can significantly advance analytical performance across multiple industries, meeting both current and future demands for speed, sensitivity, and reliability.