Full-Spectrum Database Coupled with Rapid, High-Res Accurate MS Enables Broad Exploration of Known and Unknown Food Contaminants
Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: A) today introduced a new Personal Compound Database and Library for use with gas chromatography/hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight (GC/Q-TOF) mass spectrometers. Part of Agilent's full line of pesticide monitoring and analysis solutions, the full-spectrum Pesticide PCDL—combined with high-resolution accurate mass technology—enables clear and decisive identification of even the most challenging pesticides and unknown contaminants.
The pesticide PCDL is the first commercially available high res-accurate mass GC/Q-TOF library. It was developed in collaboration with Dr. Peter Fürst from Germany's Chemical and Veterinary Analytical Institute, Amadeo Rodriguez Fernandez-Alba from the University of Almeria in Spain, and O. David Sparkman, adjunct professor of chemistry at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.
Conventional screening with single quadrupole or tandem quadrupole instruments require extensive method setup and optimization to screen for hundreds of compounds. The combination of Q-TOF technology and an exact mass library eliminates this complexity and provides greater flexibility in screening workflows. In addition, the high-resolution accurate mass measurements provide higher confidence in screening results.
"The capabilities of the GC/Q-TOF combined with the new exact mass library will allow us to quickly screen for hundreds of pesticides and contaminants," said Dr. Fürst. "The combination of high-resolution accurate mass with the ability to acquire full spectrum data will not only allow us to have better confidence in our results, but will now give us the ability to look for and identify emerging contaminants."
The pesticide PCDL was developed for the Agilent 7890B GC and 7200 Series GC/Q-TOF mass spectrometer for food safety and environmental screening. It is retention time-locked for the three most common GC methods used in pesticide screening. The kit contains:
Exact mass EI spectra for more than 750 pesticides and environmental pollutants;
MassHunter PCDL software, which allows content to be easily viewed and edited, making it easier for users to create custom databases for smaller and more specific suites of analytes compiled to specific requirements; and
A quick-start package, including a DVD with method and data files, application notes and a user's guide, which speeds the start-up process by showing real-world examples of analyses.
The new database and library will be available in the second half of 2014.
www.agilent.com
