Contents of this edition:
The 18th issue of the magazine offers several interesting reports on application areas in which GERSTEL instruments and -systems are being used as chemical analysis tools of choice: Food safety, environmental, workplace safety, metabolomics, as well as forensic dating services.
Cooling options
Chilled out
To maximize performance, a cooling system that matches the application is needed. The available cooling options and where they best fit are described below.
Metabolomics
Watered down taste
Extreme weather with alternating periods of drought and heavy rainfall can negatively affect yield and quality of agricultural crops.
Forensic Dating Services
Gunshot Residue Dating
To determine if and when a handgun has been fired, forensic scientists are searching for and analyzing Gunshot Residue (GSR) deposits. An extraction technique based on Headspace Sorptive Extraction (HSSE) has now been shown to extract additional information from spent cartridges.
Food Safety
Herbal warfare
Plant based food and feed can contain toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) due to coharvesting of weeds that contain PAs. Experts recommend testing crops known to co-exist with PA containing weeds before use.
Metabolomics
Analytical mass movement
Metabolomics studies generally require efficient, fully automated sample preparation and the right autosampler.
Water Analysis
Stirred, not shaken
A highly sensitive method for quantitative determination of around 100 contaminants in surface waters with and without sediment has been developed. SBSE is the method of choice for analyte concentration, providing simple, yet powerful, water analysis based on the EU Water Framework.
Presenting the Lab
Always one step ahead
GERSTEL Solutions Worldwide magazine visited the Ecology Services Laboratories of DowDuPont at the Chemistry Park Stade in Germany. The lab is responsible for water and environmental analysis at the site and we had a look around.
Food Safety Analysis
Refined Risk
An automated GC/MS-method enables highly efficient determination of 2-MCPD, 3-MCPD, Glycidol and their fatty acid esters based on standard methods.
Environmental Analysis
Lingering Poison
Sampling procedures and sample handling are key factors in generating valid analytical results, as illustrated in the characterization of concentration profiles of DDT-related compounds in marine pore water.