It is common to investigate new or upcoming technologies to improve sample throughput in the analytical laboratory. Typically, laboratories will look to optimize instrument conditions or sample preparatory techniques. Our lab was tasked with a long-term water monitoring study, which required the analysis of several hundred water samples a week with expedited turnaround times. The analytical method utilized GC/MS and time-consuming sample preparation procedures. Several critical areas were identified for improvement from the original analytical procedure. These critical areas included a reduction in sample size, minimizing of time-consuming sample preparation procedures, improving repeatability of the procedure, and decreasing analytical run times. This presentation will describe the high-throughput residue analysis system which evolved at ADPEN Laboratories, Inc. The GC/MS procedure used initially, required large sample volumes, SPE clean-up, evaporation steps, and long run times. The improved procedure employs liquid sample handling robotics and a highly-sensitive UHPLC/MS-MS instrument and, along with an upgrade of the LIMS environment, increased sample throughput in our analytical laboratory. The high throughput procedure allowed the sample preparation of 80 samples in 3 hours versus 12-15 samples in an 8-hour work day. Additionally, instrument run times were drastically reduced from 17.8 minutes to 5 minutes.

High-throughput residue analysis for a water monitoring study using liquid-handling robotics and UHPLC/MS-MS

246th National Meeting (2013)

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