Pesticide Analysis

The analysis of organochlorine pesticides can be challenging in sediment and tissue matrices. While our experience allows us to achieve the best possible performance by minimizing matrix interferences, the presence of PCB congeners in a sample can potentially cause false positive pesticide detections. These false positives are because PCBs are not removed by traditional sample extract clean up techniques. If requested, Alpha can confirm pesticide results by GC/MS, which can remove the threat of pesticide false positive detections to the method reporting limit.

Alpha Analytical performs organochlorine pesticide analyses by Gas Chromatography (GC) via EPA Method 8081. Samples are generally extracted utilizing EPA Method 3570 - Microscale Solvent Extraction (MSE). Sample extracts can be cleaned up to minimize interferences using silica gel or gel permeation chromatography (GPC), as well as a number of additional techniques, as necessary. GC/MS confirmation of positive pesticides detections by GC is performed utilizing a modified EPA Method 8270 technique.