ABSTRACT
Pesticide residue analysis in food has become a new area in the progress of modern analytical chemistry. Sensitive and reliable analytical tools are required to ensure food safety and trade regulations. Superior selectivity and adequate sensitivity present a competitive analytical performance to single-stage gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in terms of chromatographic signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). The compatibility of common organic solvents for injection into GC was dedicatedly studied for pesticide residues. Capillary columns with cross-linked stationary phases are broadly extended among specialized laboratories in residue analysis. Different vendors sell their own capillary columns with similarity to other companies' phases. Speed is a central point in GC-MS coupling. Speed of separation reduces time of analysis but should be accompanied with proper selectivity and speed of detection. The pneumatic devices built into modern GC allowed for precise control of gas flows that provides reproducible chromatographic retention times and the possibility to vary sample injection and maintenance techniques.
