Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis is an effective testing and troubleshooting tool for many manufacturers across industries, helping identify and quantify the materials that make up a sample or uncover contaminants that impact product quality. But when it comes to making sense of GC/MS analysis results, you may wonder how to read a gas […]
Analytical Testing in Action: Watch and Learn How Different Techniques Are Used
Analytical testing techniques are used by a variety of different industries to uncover contamination or quality issues, as well as reveal a sample material’s composition to further the development of their products. Below we’ve compiled a handful of analytical testing videos that show analytical testing techniques in action, so you can learn more about the […]
GC/MS Analysis Deconstructed
What is GC/MS analysis? GC/MS analysis is an analytical testing method that combines features of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify different substances within a liquid or volatile sample. GC/MS is commonly used to identify unknown samples, contaminants, or residual solvents. GC/MS analysis is an extremely versatile testing method that can also be used […]
GC/MS Analysis Identifies Dangerous Mosquitoes
GC/MS Application: Identifying Dangerous Mosquitoes Threatening about half of the global population and causing over 660,000 deaths per year, mainly of young children in Africa, malaria is an infamous mosquito-borne disease. However, there are many other species of mosquito which can be equally as deadly at transmitting diseases like West Nile virus, Rift Valley fever […]
Can Cancer be identified in your Bad Breath?
Are you the kind of person who’s always popping breath mints or chewing gum? Most of us spend our time trying to avoid bad breath, but have you ever considered that your breath could be telling you something important about your health? Breath may be a useful sample source for clinicians who hope to use […]
Waging War on Beetles with GC/MS Testing
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry or GC/MS testing is currently the main weapon being used in the battle against a beetle that is threatening avocado trees in the U.S. The Redbay Ambrosia beetle is an insidious pest which is spreading Laurel wilt disease (caused by the fungus Raffaelea lauricolato) to the Carolinas, Florida and Mississippi. The beetle […]
GC/MS Discovery: Mayans Used Tobacco
It may not come as a surprise to you that Mayans used tobacco. The history of the Americas depicts Indian sects in a variety of smoking rituals. We have pictorial evidence that the Maya smoked tobacco in large pipes or a crude form of our modern cigar. This discovery, however, is the first time it […]
Headspace Analysis and Blood Alcohol Test Errors
As any forensic scientist knows, human error can account for inaccurate information, resulting in a flawed interpretation. In cases involving drunken driving, where the blood alcohol content (BAC) of the driver is requested, defense attorneys have been known to challenge what’s called the headspace analysis. Headspace gas chromatography (GC) is a way of separating volatile […]
Using GC/MS to Analyze Unknown Compounds In Manufacturing
During the manufacturing process unknown compounds may be left in a product. GC/MS is used by manufacturers to detect residual solvents trapped in a product either from the production line or cleaning process, trace levels of impurities in liquids, or atmospheric impurities in a sealed environment. The detection of these foreign compounds left behind may […]