I have put together some results from recent measurements that were collected using the splitless GC-MS method. I have not only identified the compounds, but also quantified 12 different hydrocarbons as I have done previously (http://www.nomad.priv.at/researchblog/?p=48).
It was nice to see that repeatability of duplicate measurements is now below 10% for most species, which is a good improvement compared to the now published manuscript (http://www.nomad.priv.at/researchblog/?p=53). Concentrations were similar in all locations, indicating a more complex relationsship between location and compound concentrations than remote vs. urban. Snow properties such as age and density seem to play a crucial role. Concentration were in the lower µg/L range – well above the LOD, which is around 0.003 µg/L for most compounds.
The method is definitely fit for the arctic snow samples that I will be collecting in May at Alert, Nunavut.
