Mass spectrometry/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry approach for rapid screening/quantitative determination of perchloroethylene in air

A new mass spectrometry/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (MS/GC–MS) approach has been developed for the screening and quantitative determination of perchloroethylene (PERC) in workplace and outdoor air samples, which could be extended to the screening and analysis of other analytes and samples. This approach may be rapidly modified in order to be used directly as an MS detector for screening purposes or alternatively as a common GC–MS, for confirmation. The screening alternative by MS is approximately 20 times faster than the quantitative-confirmatory determination by GC–MS. Detection limits of both alternatives are sufficiently low to screen and determine PERC in the above-mentioned matrixes. The advantage of this approach over others previously described is that, in the present case, the sample passes through the chromatographic column only when the confirmatory GC–MS is used. For the MS screening method, the chromatographic column is bypassed by using an appropriate selection valve. In this way, the column lifetime is extended and screening time is considerably shortened.