Chemical detection in deployment toxicology using high speed gas chromatography with a solvating mobile phase and time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Solvating gas chromatography (SGC) involves a mobile phase that is a superc ritical fluid at the column inlet (typically 100-350 atm) and a gas upon ex iting the column at ambient pressure. SGC has characteristics of both super critical fluid chromatography and gas chromatography, and may be adaptable to a system with characteristics approaching a "universal chromatograph" ca pable of analyzing many classes of compounds on one instrument. We have rec ently found that using a solvating mobile phase such as CO2, together with small, spherical particle-packed capillary columns can offer significant ad vantages for rapid chemical analysis. A need exists in operational military settings to rapidly detect a wide range of chemicals with potential advers e health effects for exposed personnel. A separation step improves analytic al capability by reducing or eliminating chemical background for better det ection limits, and purifies or isolates target analyts and unknownsfor impr oved identification. SGC, coupled to a high volume vapor/aerosol sampler an d a rapid mass spectrometric detector such as a time-of-flight mass spectro nteter could provide rapid, positive identification of separated compounds, with the resulting chromatographic and mass spectral data stored in digita l format for future retrieval. Such a system will significantly advance the ability of military commanders to detect airborne chemical agents rapidly and accurately, protecting the health of military personnel.