CAPILLARY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY COMBINED WITH ATOMIC-EMISSION DETECTION FOR THE ANALYSIS OF DDT AND METABOLITES

Capillary gas chromatography with atomic emission detection (GC-AED) w as evaluated for the determination of DDT and metabolites in biologica l samples. Utilizing chlorine-selective detection at 479 nm, DDT, DDE, and DDD were quantified down to the 20 ng/g (fat weight) level (S/N = 10) in cod liver oil, while the detection limit was 6 ng/g (S/N = 3). With splitless injection performed in the pressure programmed mode, D DT and related compounds were quantified based on a single chlorine ca libration curve (universal calibration). The quantitative data obtaine d by GC-AED were in excellent accordance with similar results from cap illary gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD), wh ile the procedure for calibration was simplified with the former techn ique. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.