Standard Operating Procedures (Sops) Gc-Ms Analyses
Standard Operating Procedures (Sops) Gc-Ms Analyses
Analyte list
1.3. PCB congeners: 18, 28, 44, 52, 66, 101, 105, 118, 128, 138, 153, 170, 180, 187, 195, 206 and
209
1.4. Hexachlorobenzene
2. Select the instrument settings and conditions for gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in order to
measure the analytes selected above.
GC/MS settings:
injection volume 3-µL
injection type splitless
GC inlet temperature 270° C
inlet purged time 1 min.
carrier gas Helium
constant head pressure 40 psi
septum purge flow 1 mL/min.
split vent flow 50 mL/min.
column dimensions 60 mm long x 0.25 mm internal diameter
column phase 0.25 µm film-thickness "DB-5"
detector temperature 300° C
1. Adjust the Time ranges as necessary (e.g., after GC maintenance) based on the retention times of
the analytes.
2. Analyze sets of samples along with five or more calibration standards (referred to as multi-level
standards)
2.1. Each multilevel calibration standard contains the analytes at a different concentration so that the
concentrations of the calibration standards span the range of analyte concentrations expected to
be found in the tissue samples.
2.2. Monitor the GC/MS reproducibility using the mid-level calibration standard. Analyze a mid-level
calibration standard at the beginning, middle and end of the series of samples and standards.
Data Processing
3. Calculate the concentrations of the analytes relative to the Internal Standard in the samples using the
quadratic regression of signal versus concentration in the multilevel standards. [Note that this
calibration/calculation process will have its own SOP once the analysis has been validated and the
4. Calculate the lower quantitation limits for analytes in samples using the GC/MS minimum area
equivalent to the area of the analytes in the lowest level calibration standard analyzed with the set.
5. Calculate the % recovery of the Internal Standard PCB 103 using the GC Internal Standard
Tetrachloro-meta-xylene.
6. Calculate the estimated concentration of total PCBs by multiplying 2 times the sum of the
concentrations of the 17 PCB congeners.
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