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Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants that are persistent and toxic. The historical quantitative analysis of these compounds has been achieved with high-resolution targeted analysis using magnetic sector instruments, with subsequent lower resolution analysis to identify other contaminants. Advances in technology have led to comprehensive time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometers that can quantify PCDDs or PCDFs while simultaneously acquiring data on other contaminants in the samples. Samples that had been analyzed using EPA Method 1613B condi-tions on a sector instrument were analyzed with a high performance TOF mass spectrometer and a low-resolution comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) TOF instrument. The quantitative results from the sector, the high-resolution TOF, and the GCxGC-TOF systems are compared in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study that investigated the use of split injection in analysis of semivolatile environmental pollutants. Topics covered include the calibration performance of compounds analyzed such as hexachloroethane, nitrobenzene and chrysene, the failure of the three highest concentration calibration standards to pass the resolution criterion, and the advantage of using split injection with a sensitive mass spectrometry (MS) detector and highly inert analytical column.