Multidimensional separations - translation from the research institute to the routine laboratory

环境分析的范式正在发生变化。目前，环境实验室使用“有针对性的”分析方法进行分析：实验室测量样品中存在的特定已知化合物的丰度。在现代环境分析的背景下，这种方法的问题是，人们往往不知道事先要测试什么化合物。在宾夕法尼亚州最近的一个例子中，井水明显受到了污染(它看起来像牛奶一样，泡沫像啤酒一样)；然而，几个实验室进行的测试结果都是污染阴性。污染源的化合物不在实验室的目标名单上。因此，尽管实验室结果是正确的，但它们并不是特别有信息性。解决这一问题的方法是遵循“非目标”分析范式。使用这种方法，实验室将尝试识别样品中存在的尽可能多的化合物。大约15年前，一种新技术(综合多维气相色谱)作为靶向和非靶向分析的最有力工具出现。它通常用于从一系列研究领域的样品中分离和鉴定数千种不同的化合物，它彻底改变了科学家研究样品化学的方式。然而，由于仪器的成本和复杂性，这项技术还没有进入常规实验室。这一研究项目旨在将先进的分离技术转移到常规分析实验室。该项目完成后，将开发一系列方法，并部署到我们的商业实验室合作伙伴。这些分析的最初主题是“石油与环境”。将制定与石油有关的样品的详细表征方法，涵盖空气排放、泄漏到土壤和水以及各种石油产品的范围。我们的愿景是，这些新的分析将为实验室(及其客户)提供更多、更好的信息，允许开发改进的环境法规、改进的环境取证工具以及改进的石油勘探工具。

The paradigm for environmental analysis is changing. Currently, environmental laboratories perform analyses using "targeted" methods of analysis: those where laboratories measure the abundances of specific known compounds present in the samples. The problem with this approach in the context of the modern environmental analysis is that more often than not, one does not know what compounds to test for beforehand. In one recent example from Pennsylvania, well water was obviously contaminated (it looked milky and foamed like beer); however, the tests performed by several laboratories all came back negative for contamination. The compounds that were the source of the contamination were not on the list of targets for the laboratories. Thus, while the laboratory results were correct, they were not particularly informative. The solution to this problem is to follow the paradigm of "non-target" analysis. Using this approach, the laboratory will attempt to identify as many compounds present in the sample as possible. About 15 years ago, a new technique (comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography) emerged as the most powerful tool for targeted and non-targeted analyses. It is routinely used to separate and identify thousands of different compounds in samples from a range of fields of research, and it has revolutionized how scientists study the chemistry of their samples. However, due to the cost and complexity of the instrumentation, the technique has not entered the routine laboratory. This research project seeks to move advanced separations technologies into the routine analytical laboratory. Upon completion of this project, a series of methods will have been developed and deployed to our commercial laboratory partner. The initial theme of these analyses is "petroleum and the environment". Methods for detailed characterization of petroleum-related samples will be developed covering the range of air emissions, spills to soil and water, and various petroleum products. The vision is that these new analyses will provide more, better information to the laboratory (and its clients), permit the development of improved environmental regulations, improved tools for environmental forensics, and improved tools for petroleum exploration.