#Best Ion Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer

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What is the Industrial Potential of GC-IMS Technology?

Imspex is working on GC-IMS to decode the hidden substances inside the complex matters. The technology has greater implications in various industries including detection of VOCs in waste water, VOCs in food production, VOCs in beer brewing and more.

What is GC-IMS testing and how does it work?

So you want gas chromatography's selectivity and ion-mobility spectrometry's sensitivity? Impsex's GC-IMS combines the best of both worlds, providing it a broad range of applications. A short multicapillary gas chromatographic separation column is connected to the ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). This implies that individual substances in complicated combinations can be separated and analysed.

Individual chemicals can be separated and analysed using GC-IMS. Dortmund, G.A.S. When the chemicals in a sample are separated by the GC-column, they are ionised and sequentially enter the IMS's 'drift area.' Ions drift in an electrical field in the opposite direction of a drift gas's flow (either nitrogen or clean, dry air).

Ions will wander at varied speeds according on their charge, mass, and shape, eventually reaching the detector one by one. As a result, a two-dimensional data matrix is created. The GC-IMS by Impsex presents the findings of the analysis in a colour contours image within minutes, allowing users to visually compare samples to a reference sample.

APPLICATIONS of GC-IMC

It has some really important applications for VOCs in food production as well. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in four Chinese freshwater fishes were analysed using two innovative methods: gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) and ultrafast gas chromatography electronic-nose (uf-GC E-nose). The GC-IMS offers the advantages of rapid detection and excellent sensitivity. With GC-IMS, the qualitative analysis of the chemicals is more accurate (larger data volume, leading to a better in-depth statistical analysis).

IMSPEX's GC-IMS technology, Flavourspec, might provide a non-destructive, quick, low-cost, and reliable method for flavour analysis. The established fingerprints of VOCs in food production quality control have shown to be of considerable use, according to the approaches.

As a fundamental technique, fast GC (gas chromatography) - IMS (ion mobility spectrometry) is sufficiently adaptable in terms of chemical detection capabilities. The use of this dual technology can give unique solutions in a variety of operating situations. GC-IMS is the next step forward in the growth of IMS technology. This detector configuration may be tailored to detect and identify explosives, ICAO markers, and drugs using the benefits of IMS (compact, high sensitivity, robust, operates at atmospheric pressure, etc.) and the chemical selection capacity of GC. This presentation will provide a technical overview of GC-IMS and detail a number of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems that might be used in a variety of settings. The Orion detects explosives, the Ariel detects drugs, the Sirius detects both explosives and narcotics, and the NorthStar detects both explosives and narcotics.

What can we do to assist?

Imspex uses a G.A.S. Dortmund gas chromatograph-ion-mobility spectrometer, which is specialised in ion-mobility spectrometry. Our GC-IMS testing is dependably robust and accurate since it is carried out by PhD scientists that specialise in odour/aroma and sensory topics. We also have more than 30 years of expertise with odour concerns, providing us a unique viewpoint on your analytical needs.

Do you want to learn more?

Did you know, IMS trace analysis is utilised for airport security? Imspex conducts GC-IMS tests on computers and cameras at various airports to determine whether they have come into touch with explosive compounds. Apart from that, it may be used to evaluate VOCs in wastewater.

With the unlimited potential of greater industrial potential, technology will play a great role in food production quality control, beer brewing, water sanitation and more.

If you want to learn more about the commercial potential of GC-IMS, contact Imspex through their website and explore the future of VOCs testing & detection with gas chromatography powered ion mobility spectrometry.

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Drug Testing - Marijuana

While NORML strongly opposes drug use on the job, we think no one should be forced to submit to urine testing, especially for marijuana. Aside from launching a legal challenge, your best defense against urine testing is to be clean. Unfortunately, this may be difficult since urine tests may detect marijuana 1-5 days after an occasional use, 1-3 weeks in regular users, and 4-6 weeks in multiple daily users. Since urine tests do not detect the psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, THC, but rather other, nonactive metabolites, they in no way measure impairment; nonetheless, this fact is of no account to employers in today’s anti-drug hysteria. If you are on the job market, it is prudent to expect being tested and avoid marijuana. However, recognizing that many of you may face drug testing on short notice, we offer the following advice for emergencies with our best wishes (but no promises!).

DON’T RELY ON EXCUSES:

Although urine tests are far from infallible, it is difficult to challenge positive test results. “False positives,” in which workers are wrongfully accused of marijuana use, are highly unlikely so long as labs exercise proper care (however, not all labs do this). The standard procedure is to first screen the samples with an immunoassay test (e.g., EMIT® or RIA®), then confirm positive results with the more accurate gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS). This virtually eliminates the chance of false positives in exchange for a relatively high rate of “false negatives,” where drug use is not detected. The sensitivity of the test is determined by the concentration of metabolites it is set to detect: for the Dept. of Transportation, the standard cutoff is 50 nanograms/milliliter (ng/ml). Sponsored Content No substance is known to produce a false positive for marijuana. It used to be that ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin) interfered with the marijuana test, but this problem has been fixed. A variety of over-the-counter medicines can cause false positives for amphetamine and other illicit drugs on the EMIT test, but not on the GCMS. “Passive smoking” of marijuana is not an acceptable excuse at the 50 ng/ml level, since only in extreme circumstances can a non-smoker absorb enough pot to test urine positive (e.g., being stuck in a closet full of heavy smokers for hours). However, passive exposure may result in positive tests at 25 ng/ml or lower.

How long does weed stay in your system?

Answer: - Urine Test: 30-45 days (daily consumer) - Blood Test: 45-60 days - Hair Test: 90-120 days (daily consumer) - Saliva Test: 1-7 days (daily consumer) What factors determine the time window for THC still being in your body? Answer: - Body Mass (BMI) - Metabolism - Levels of THC in your body The natural timeline for THC leaving your system is different for everyone, as it is dependent on a number of factors that include age, body mass, metabolism, frequency of exposure, duration of exposure, and the potency of the cannabis consumed. For most people, it can take as long as 4-6 weeks for traces of THC from cannabis to naturally exit your system from the last point you consumed. Unlike other testable substances, THC is fat-soluble which means it gets stored in your fat cells and organs. Generally speaking, the less frequent you consume and less body fat you have the lesser amount of time it will take you to cleanse. As you may have guessed, the more frequent and concentrated your consumption is and the higher your body fat levels are will have the opposite effect, making it a longer process to getting THC out that often requires detoxing with a hardcore diet plan.

TESTING URINE SPECIMENS FOR ADULTERANTS

Specially designed urine dipsticks such as AdultaCheck 4, AdultaCheck 6, or Intect 7 can be used to detect many adulterants in urine. AdultaCheck 6 detects creatinine, oxidants, nitrite, glutaraldehyde, pH, and chromate. The Intect 7 test strip for checking adulteration in urine is composed of seven different pads to test for creatinine, nitrite, glutaraldehyde, pH, specific gravity, bleach, and PCC. Guidelines from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration require additional tests for urine specimens with abnormal physical characteristics or ones that show characteristics of an adulterated specimen during initial screening or confirmatory tests. A pH less than 3 or more than 11, and nitrite concentrations greater than 500 mg/mL indicate the presence of adulterants. A nitrite colorimetric test or a general oxidant colorimetric test should be performed to identify nitrite. The presence of chromium (VI) in a urine specimen also is indicative of adulteration at a cutoff concentration of 50 mg/mL. The presence of chromium in a urine specimen could be confirmed by a chromium colorimetric test or a general test for the presence of oxidant. A confirmatory test should be performed using multi-wavelength spectrophotometry, ion chromatography, atomic absorption spectrophotometry, capillary electrophoresis, or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

What types of drug tests are there?

Answer: - Urine Test: most common method of drug testing - Hair Test: fastest-growing new method of drug testing - Blood Test: less common—typically for specialized or sanctioned drug testing - Saliva Test: least common—typically for government/roadside drug testing The urine test is by far the most common drug testing method used by employers and drug testing labs due to its convenience and low cost. Hair testing is rising in popularity amongst the government and certain employers with specialized positions because of its unique ability to detect previous drug use far longer than other tests; sometimes as long as several months in the past. Larger companies as well as government agencies will administer a blood test. Saliva tests are generally used for roadside testing. You can always ask which test will be administered so you can be prepared on test day.

How do marijuana drug tests work?

Answer: Cannabis leaves traces of THC in your fat cells that deposit into your bloodstream making those traces detectable by drug tests designed to check your urine, hair, blood, or saliva. Read the full article

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Accurate Detection of Residual Solvents in Cannabis Concentrates: Edibles and vape pens are rapidly becoming a sizable portion of the cannabis industry as various methods of consumption popularize beyond just smoking dried flower. These products are produced using cannabis concentrates, which come in the form of oils, waxes or shatter (figure 1). Once the cannabinoids and terpenes are removed from the plant material using solvents, the solvent is evaporated leaving behind the product. Extraction solvents are difficult to remove in the low percent range so the final product is tested to ensure leftover solvents are at safe levels. While carbon dioxide and butane are most commonly used, consumer concern over other more toxic residual solvents has led to regulation of acceptable limits. For instance, in Colorado the Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) updated the state's acceptable limits of residual solvents on January 1st, 2017. Headspace Analysis Figure 1: Shatter can be melted and dissolved in a high molecular weight solvent for headspace analysis (HS). Photo Courtesy of Cal-Green Solutions. Since the most suitable solvents are volatile, these compounds are not amenable to HPLC methods and are best suited to gas chromatography (GC) using a thick stationary phase capable of adequate retention and resolution of butanes from other target compounds. Headspace (HS) is the most common analytical technique for efficiently removing the residual solvents from the complex cannabis extract matrix. Concentrates are weighed out into a headspace vial and are dissolved in a high molecular weight solvent such as dimethylformamide (DMF) or 1,3-dimethyl-3-imidazolidinone (DMI). The sealed headspace vial is heated until a stable equilibrium between the gas phase and the liquid phase occurs inside the vial. One milliliter of gas is transferred from the vial to the gas chromatograph for analysis. Another approach is full evaporation technique (FET), which involves a small amount of sample sealed in a headspace vial creating a single-phase gas system. More work is required to validate this technique as a quantitative method. Gas Chromatographic Detectors The flame ionization detector (FID) is selective because it only responds to materials that ionize in an air/hydrogen flame, however, this condition covers a broad range of compounds. When an organic compound enters the flame; the large increase in ions produced is measured as a positive signal. Since the response is proportional to the number of carbon atoms introduced into the flame, an FID is considered a quantitative counter of carbon atoms burned. There are a variety of advantages to using this detector such as, ease of use, stability, and the largest linear dynamic range of the commonly available GC detectors. The FID covers a calibration of nearly 5 orders of magnitude. FIDs are inexpensive to purchase and to operate. Maintenance is generally no more complex than changing jets and ensuring proper gas flows to the detector. Because of the stability of this detector internal standards are not required and sensitivity is adequate for meeting the acceptable reporting limits. However, FID is unable to confirm compounds and identification is only based on retention time. Early eluting analytes have a higher probability of interferences from matrix (Figure 2). Figure 2: Resolution of early eluting compounds by headspace – flame ionization detection (HS-FID). Chromatogram Courtesy of Trace Analytics. Mass Spectrometry (MS) provides unique spectral information for accurately identifying components eluting from the capillary column. As a compound exits the column it collides with high-energy electrons destabilizing the valence shell electrons of the analyte and it is broken into structurally significant charged fragments. These fragments are separated by their mass-to-charge ratios in the analyzer to produce a spectral pattern unique to the compound. To confirm the identity of the compound the spectral fingerprint is matched to a library of known spectra. Using the spectral patterns the appropriate masses for quantification can be chosen. Compounds with higher molecular weight fragments are easier to detect and identify for instance benzene (m/z 78), toluene (m/z 91) and the xylenes (m/z 106), whereas low mass fragments such as propane (m/z 29), methanol (m/z 31) and butane (m/z 43) are more difficult and may elute with matrix that matches these ions. Several disadvantages of mass spectrometers are the cost of equipment, cost to operate and complexity. In addition, these detectors are less stable and require an internal standard and have a limited dynamic range, which can lead to compound saturation. Regardless of your method of detection, optimized HS and GC conditions are essential to properly resolve your target analytes and achieve the required detection limits. While MS may differentiate overlapping peaks the chances of interference of low molecular weight fragments necessitates resolution of target analytes chromatographically. FID requires excellent resolution for accurate identification and quantification. The post Accurate Detection of Residual Solvents in Cannabis Concentrates appeared first on Cannabis Industry Journal. http://bit.ly/2onKoHG @CannabisEditor #Cannabis