Evaluation of Halogen‐Specific Detector (XSDTM) for Trace Analysis of Chlorinated Fatty Acids in Fish

Abstract The applicability of a halogen‐specific detector (XSD™, manufactured by OI Analytical) was evaluated for GC analysis of chlorinated fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) that are present at trace levels in transesterified fish extract, a complex matrix consisting of similar but nonchlorinated compounds. A characteristic of the XSD working principle is that thermal electron emission, negative surface ionization and positive surface ionization are all operative in a concerted manner. While the XSD is not superior to other GC detectors in terms of signal‐to‐noise, its merit is in its high selectivity (106) and low detection limit (2 pg Cl) for chlorinated fatty acids, and ease of operation and maintenance. Its reasonably wide linear range (up to 10 ng Cl) is desirable for trace analysis of chlorinated FAMEs. A major drawback of this detector is a certain degree of peak broadening and peak tailing of eluted compounds with concentrations larger than ∼1 ng Cl/µL in the injected solution even though this val...