Multiresidue Pesticide Analysis with the Agilent Intuvo 9000 GC and Agilent 7000C Triple Quadrupole GC/MS

Significance of the Topic

Efficient transfer of validated gas chromatography methods between different instrument platforms is essential for analytical laboratories to maintain consistency, reduce downtime, and avoid extensive re-optimization. Demonstrating equivalency between conventional and novel GC systems enables seamless adoption of new technology without compromising data quality or throughput.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study evaluates the equivalency of established methods on an Agilent 7890 GC system and a next-generation Agilent Intuvo 9000 GC system. Three representative applications are compared:

• Semivolatile organic compounds by EPA 8270D
• Multiresidue pesticide analysis in food matrices
• Analysis of endrin and DDT breakdown in environmental samples

The goal is to confirm that inlet parameters, column phases, oven programs, and detector settings can be directly ported, with only minimal additional setpoints required by the Intuvo flow path design.

Methodology and Used Instrumentation

Methods were transferred by matching inlet configuration (split/splitless), column chemistry (DB-5MSUI or HP-5MSUI), flow rates (constant), oven temperature ramps, and detector conditions (FID or mass spectrometer). Intuvo’s unique modular flow chips introduce two extra variables: Guard Chip temperature (track oven) and bus heater block temperature.

• Agilent 7890 GC system with split/splitless inlet and FID or MS detector
• Agilent Intuvo 9000 GC system with Guard Chip and Jumper Chip modules
• 30 m × 0.25 mm, 0.5 µm DB-5MSUI and 15 m × 0.25 mm, 0.5 µm HP-5MSUI columns
• Agilent MassHunter, CDS ChemStation, and OpenLab software

Main Results and Discussion

Retention times across both platforms showed negligible shifts (average relative retention time difference ~0.0006), and peak shapes and responses were virtually identical. In semivolatile analysis (EPA 8270D), the Intuvo system reproduced established performance using default Guard Chip tracking and bus temperature settings. For pesticide screening in food, the Guard Chip protected columns from matrix contaminants without altering method setpoints. Optimization of the bus heater block temperature from 320 °C to 260 °C minimized thermal degradation of endrin and DDT breakdown products, reducing decomposition below 10% and improving repeatability.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Direct method transfer reduces development time and conserves existing method libraries.
• Guard Chip enhances robustness in dirty matrix analyses by preventing column fouling.
• Minimal additional parameters maintain user familiarity and simplify training.
• Software uniformity across platforms ensures consistent operation and data management.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Adoption of modular GC platforms is expected to grow in high-throughput and regulated environments. Future developments may include advanced chip designs for automated backflush, expanded thermal management for labile analytes, and integration with microfluidic sample introduction. Wider application of headspace and purge-and-trap analyses using isothermal Jumper Chips can further streamline volatile compound workflows.

Conclusion

The Agilent Intuvo 9000 GC system performs equivalently to the established 7890 platform, requiring only two additional method setpoints for its modular flow path. Laboratories can adopt Intuvo technology without extensive revalidation, maintaining data quality while benefiting from simplified maintenance and enhanced column protection.

Reference

1. E. Denoyer, R. Veeneman. Simplifying Method Translation, Agilent Technologies Technical Overview, publication 5991-9149EN, 2018.
2. R. Veeneman. Transferring Methods to Intuvo: Six Practical Examples, Agilent Technologies Technical Overview, publication 5991-9150EN, 2018.
3. R. Veeneman. Updating Pesticide Retention Time Libraries for the Agilent Intuvo 9000 GC, Application Note 5991-8446EN, 2017.
4. M. Giardina. Analysis of Semivolatile Organic Compounds Using the Agilent Intuvo 9000 GC, Application Note 5991-7256EN, 2016.
5. R. Veeneman, J. Stevens. Multiresidue Pesticide Analysis with the Agilent 9000 GC and Agilent 7000 Series MS, Application Note 5991-7216EN, 2016.
6. R. Veeneman. Choosing the Right Guard Chip for Your Application, Application Note 5991-8447EN, 2017.