Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffins – A High Resolution Orbitrap GC-MS Solution

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) present themselves as a plethora of constitutional and optical isomers within a wide range of carbon chain lengths and degrees of chlorination. Because of their persistence and believed harmful effects upon exposure to biota and abiota alike, short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) have been listed as candidates of the Stockholm Convention POPs list and are an expected to be added to the list in late 2017.

As there is no consensus on an analytical procedure for SCCPs or medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) in food samples, many different methods with barely comparable results are currently in use. High resolution mass spectrometry in particular has proven to be valuable for in-depth studies of congener patterns and fulfilling regulatory demands in connection to the impending worldwide ban of SCCP production and use.

In this webcast, Kerstin Krätschmer and Cristian Cojocariu will present and discuss the results obtained from the experiments designed to assess the performance of the high resolution accurate mass Thermo Scientific Q Exactive GC Orbitrap GC-MS for the analysis of both SCCP and MCCP in standards and salmon samples. System performance was tested using full scan acquisition and simple instrumental setup.

The experiments were focusing on assessing:

The linear dynamic range
Selectivity in matrix
Sensitivity
Quantitative performance in relation to sample preparation

About the presenters

Kerstin Krätschmer
PhD Student
European Union Reference Laboratory

Kerstin is a PhD student at the University of Hohenheim’s Institute of Food Chemistry, in Stuttgart, Germany, and is working at the European Union Reference Laboratory (EU-RL) for Dioxins and PCBs in Feed and Food in Freiburg, Germany. She is developing new methods for the analysis of chlorinated paraffins in food working with various GC-MS techniques in support of a harmonized analytical approach for the EU official laboratories. Kerstin graduated from the University of Wuppertal, Germany, and successfully completed legal training to become a state approved food chemist.

Cristian Cojocariu
Principal Mass Spectrometry Applications Specialist
Thermo Fisher Scientific

Cristian is a Principal Mass Spectrometry Applications Specialist working in the Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry Division at Thermo Fisher Scientific, in Runcorn, UK. Cristian is an experienced analytical chemist and mass spectrometrist responsible for applications and methods development using GC-MS technology, in particular GC-Orbitrap-based mass spectrometry. Cristian has worked in both academia and industry gaining strong hands-on experience with GC-MS and LC-MS systems used to investigate trace chemicals in both biological and environmental samples.