Method 8081B: Organochlorine Pesticides Analysis by GC
Get results in seven minutes
Organochlorine pesticides emerged in the 1940s, but are no longer used today due to their persistence in the environment. However, they still are monitored in water, soil, and other samples. EPA Method 8081B is widely used for organochlorine pesticide analysis in a variety of difficult sample matrices. The selectivity of the Rtx-CLPesticides column set was originally tuned for organochlorine pesticide analysis, which provides an excellent example of the performance of the column pair. All compounds are fully resolved in just seven minutes using standard 0.32 mm columns and an Agilent micro-ECD for analysis. (Analysis times reflect simultaneous parallel dual-column analysis.) Fast analysis times translate into high sample throughput, which is an important consideration for environmental labs. In addition, several elution order changes are observed, filling the confirmational requirements of the method.
| Vendor | Column Pair | Analysis Time (min) | Coelutions | Restek Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restek | Rtx-CLPesticides / Rtx-CLPesticides2 |
7 / 7 | 0 / 0 |
|
| Competitor A | column 1 / column 2 | 7 / 8 | 0 / 1 | |
| Competitor B | column 1 / column 2 | 10 / 9 | 0 / 0 |
Comparison based on published competitor data. All columns tested were 0.32 mm ID.
Cut analysis time in half for organochlorine pesticide analysis (Method 8081B) using Rtx-CLPesticides columns and a micro-ECD.
| Peaks | |
|---|---|
| 1. | 2,4,5,6-Tetrachloro-m-xylene (SS) |
| 2. | α-BHC |
| 3. | γ-BHC |
| 4. | β-BHC |
| 5. | δ-BHC |
| 6. | Heptachlor |
| 7. | Aldrin |
| 8. | Heptachlor epoxide (isomer B) |
| 9. | trans-Chlordane |
| 10. | cis-Chlordane |
| 11. | Endosulfan I |
| Peaks | |
|---|---|
| 12. | 4,4'-DDE |
| 13. | Dieldrin |
| 14. | Endrin |
| 15. | 4,4'-DDD |
| 16. | Endosulfan II |
| 17. | 4,4'-DDT |
| 18. | Endrin aldehyde |
| 19. | Endosulfan sulfate |
| 20. | Methoxychlor |
| 21. | Endrin ketone |
| 22. | Decachlorobiphenyl (SS) |
| Columns | Rtx-CLPesticides 30 m, 0.32 mm ID, 0.32 µm (cat.# 11141) |
|---|---|
| and Rtx-CLPesticides2 30 m, 0.32 mm ID, 0.25 µm (cat.# 11324) | |
| using Rxi guard column 5 m, 0.32 mm ID (cat.# 10039) | |
| with deactivated universal “Y” Press-Tight connector (cat.# 20405-261) | |
| Standard/Sample | Organochlorine pesticide mix AB #2 (cat.# 32292) |
| Pesticide surrogate mix, EPA 8080, 8081 (cat.# 32000) | |
| Injection | |
| Inj. Vol.: | 1 µL splitless (hold 0.3 min) |
| Liner: | Splitless taper (4 mm) (cat.# 20799) |
| Inj. Temp.: | 250 °C |
| Oven | |
| Oven Temp.: | 120 °C to 200 °C at 45 °C/min to 230 °C at 15 °C/min to 330 °C at 30 °C/min (hold 2 min) |
| Carrier Gas | He |
| Detector | Micro-ECD @ 330 °C |
|---|---|
| Notes | Instrument was operated in constant flow mode. Linear velocity: 60 cm/sec @ 120 °C. This chromatogram was obtained using an Agilent micro-ECD. To obtain comparable results, you will need to employ a micro-ECD in addition to dual columns connected to a 5-meter guard column using a “Y” Press-Tight connector. |