Comparison of Direct Headspace and Aqueous Injection Techniques for Halogenated Hydrocarbons in Water

Abstract

This paper describes and compares gas chromatographic methods for the detection of volatile halocarbons in water, employing direct headspace injection and direct water injection, into fused silica capillary columns. Both the separation of components and the sensitivity of their detection are affected by the lengths of the chromatographing solute bands; factors that affect the lengths of those bands are defined. A model system, composed of deionized water that contained trace amounts of 16 halocarbons, is used for comparison of the methods. Two methods for focusing the headspace sample band following injection are also compared.