In the very early 2000’s, I attended the Water Quality Technology Conference (WQTC) for the very first time. I was only a year or two out of graduate school and beginning my first career with the Southern Nevada Water Authority (aka the water agency for Sin City). My presentation was on new analytical methodologies developed by me and my team using LC-MS/MS technology. While nervous, perhaps I had a bit of over confidence as I flashed the cash so to speak on the latest instrumentation money could buy and having the logo of a multi-billion-dollar water enterprise in Vegas. As the moderator called for questions from the audience, I will never forget the distinguished gentleman in the front row who seemingly put up his hand and stood up simultaneously. Surprisingly, he announced in a profoundly confident New York/Philadelphia hybrid accent that he was “Mel Suffet – UCLA.” Although I never met Mel before, his name and reputation were well known to me. I was astounded when Mel turned his back to me and faced the audience, and as best I can recall, said something like, everything he has shown with that fancy equipment I can do with a simple GC-MS for a small fraction of the cost and complexity. Of all the questions I was imaging as Mel slowly took the microphone and confidently announced his name and affiliation, this simple yet potent statement was not one I could readily conceive. I can’t even remember exactly how I answer, but I think it was something silly like “Good point, but our method is faster” or maybe something about the costs of professional chemists versus students. Regardless, it was a moment in my professional career I will never forget! Happily, Mel and I continued to have opportunities to cross paths throughout my career. He introduced me to several of his students, who all have went on to brilliant careers themselves. Specifically, Mel suggested that I hire some of his students as interns, with a deal I could not possible refuse, “Hire my student and you get me for free” he whispered into my ear as he pulled me close. In fact, hiring his students was one of the better decisions I made in career in Nevada and today the work inspired by Mel and his students has become a staple of my own research program in Arizona. This presentation will briefly describe the history of environmental measurements and the evolution from packed-column GC to direct aqueous injection two-dimensional LC-QTOF.

Things you can’t do with a GC-M

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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