Gas Chromatograph（GC testing service）

Gas Chromatograph (GC) Testing Service – Accredited Separation and Quantification of Volatile and Semi‑Volatile Compounds for Global Markets

Our internationally accredited laboratory provides a comprehensive Gas Chromatograph (GC) testing service that enables manufacturers, chemical producers, pharmaceutical companies, environmental agencies, food processors, forensic investigators and petroleum refiners worldwide to separate, identify and quantify the volatile and semi‑volatile organic compounds in their products, raw materials and waste streams. Every analysis is performed within the strict framework of ISO/IEC 17025, and each report bearing the ILAC mark is unconditionally accepted by regulatory authorities, customs offices and notified bodies in all major economies. The GC testing service employs flame‑ionisation, thermal‑conductivity, electron‑capture, nitrogen‑phosphorus and mass‑selective detectors to achieve the sensitivity, selectivity and dynamic range required for applications ranging from residual‑solvent analysis in pharmaceuticals to the detailed hydrocarbon characterisation of petroleum fractions. By coupling our gas chromatographs with headspace samplers, thermal desorption units, pyrolysis modules and liquid autosamplers, we provide our global clients with the legally robust, defensible data that support pharmacopoeial compliance, environmental discharge permits, food‑safety certifications and the international trade of chemical products.

Product Samples We Regularly Subject to Gas Chromatograph (GC) Testing

The versatile injection and detection systems of our GC platform accept gases, liquids, solids after extraction, and trapped volatiles from a huge variety of matrices. The following categories represent the most frequently tested items:

Pharmaceutical raw materials and finished products – active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients, tablets, capsules, syrups, creams and inhalation products
Environmental waters, soils and air – drinking water, wastewater, groundwater, soil extracts, contaminated land samples and workplace air on sorbent tubes
Food, beverages and agricultural commodities – vegetable oils, dairy products, cereals, spices, fruit juices, alcoholic drinks, meat, fish and animal feeds
Petroleum, fuels and petrochemicals – crude oil, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, LPG, natural gas, lubricating oils, biodiesel and fuel ethanol
Chemicals, solvents and industrial intermediates – monomers, plasticisers, surfactants, cleaning agents, paints, varnishes, adhesives and polymer additives
Cosmetics and personal‑care products – perfumes, creams, lotions, deodorants, hair dyes and nail varnishes
Polymers and packaging materials – residual monomers in plastics, volatile migrants from food‑contact materials and outgassing from electronic encapsulants
Forensic and clinical specimens – blood alcohol, drugs of abuse, fire‑debris extracts, ignitable liquids and biological metabolites

Environmental, Water and Air Analysis – GC Testing Service for VOCs, SVOCs, Pesticides and Disinfection By‑Products

Determination of volatile organic compounds in water and wastewater by purge‑and‑trap GC‑MS according to EPA Method 524.3, EPA Method 8260D and ISO 10301: the sample is purged with an inert gas, and the volatiles are trapped on a sorbent, thermally desorbed and separated on a capillary column. Compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, vinyl chloride and methyl‑tert‑butyl ether are identified and quantified with detection limits in the low parts‑per‑billion range. This Gas Chromatograph (GC) testing service provides the legally mandated data that water utilities and environmental agencies require to demonstrate compliance with the EU Drinking Water Directive, the US Safe Drinking Water Act and the WHO Guidelines for Drinking‑water Quality.
Semivolatile organic compounds, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and phthalates in soil and sediment by GC‑MS according to EPA Method 8270E and ISO 18287: the dried sample is extracted with a solvent, concentrated and analysed by GC‑MS. Benzo[a]pyrene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, di(2‑ethylhexyl)phthalate and over one hundred other compounds are quantified, supporting contaminated‑land risk assessment and the characterisation of dredged sediments.
Organochlorine, organophosphorus and triazine pesticides in food, feed and environmental matrices by GC‑ECD and GC‑NPD according to EN 15662 (QuEChERS) and AOAC Official Method 2007.01: the homogenised sample is extracted with acetonitrile, cleaned by dispersive solid‑phase extraction and analysed. Residues of chlorpyrifos, malathion, endosulfan, DDT, lindane and atrazine are quantified at the maximum residue limits set by Codex Alimentarius and the EU Plant Protection Products Regulation.
Trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids and nitrosamines in drinking water by GC‑ECD and GC‑MS according to EPA Methods 551.1, 552.3 and 521: the disinfection by‑products are extracted or derivatised, separated on a polar column and detected with an electron‑capture or mass‑selective detector. The concentrations of chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, bromoform and N‑nitrosodimethylamine are reported, enabling compliance with the strict limits set for these carcinogenic compounds.

Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Polymer Industries – GC Testing Service for Residual Solvents, Impurities and Monomers

Determination of residual solvents in pharmaceuticals according to USP ⟨467⟩, Ph. Eur. 2.4.24 and ICH Q3C: the sample is dissolved in a suitable solvent or equilibrated in a headspace vial, and the volatile organic impurities are separated on a capillary column and detected by FID or MS. Class 1 solvents such as benzene and carbon tetrachloride, Class 2 solvents such as methanol, acetonitrile, dichloromethane and toluene, and Class 3 solvents such as ethanol and acetone are identified and quantified. This GC testing service provides the mandatory batch‑release data required by the FDA, EMA and other global health authorities to ensure that the medicine is safe for patient use.
Purity and impurity profiling of active pharmaceutical ingredients and chemical intermediates by GC‑FID and GC‑MS: the percentage of the main component and the concentrations of process‑related impurities, degradation products and isomers are determined. The method is validated for specificity, linearity and precision, and the results support the registration of new drug substances and the quality control of fine chemicals.
Residual monomers, oligomers and additives in polymers and food‑contact materials: the polymer is dissolved, precipitated or subjected to headspace or thermal‑desorption GC‑MS. Residual styrene, acrylonitrile, vinyl chloride, butadiene, bisphenol A, phthalates and slip agents are quantified against specific migration limits defined in Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 on plastic materials intended to come into contact with food.
Analysis of essential oils, fragrances and natural extracts by GC‑FID and GC‑MS according to ISO 7609 and the protocols of the International Fragrance Association: the oil is diluted and injected directly. The relative percentage of each terpene, ester, aldehyde and alcohol constituent is reported, and the chromatographic fingerprint is compared with a reference standard to verify the botanical origin and to detect adulteration with synthetic aroma chemicals.

Petroleum, Fuels and Biofuels – Detailed Hydrocarbon Analysis and Simulated Distillation by GC

Determination of individual hydrocarbons in gasoline and gasoline‑blending streams by GC according to ASTM D6730 and EN 15199 (detailed hydrocarbon analysis): the fuel is injected onto a high‑resolution capillary column, and the flame‑ionisation detector response is calibrated against a known reference blend. The concentrations of paraffins, isoparaffins, olefins, naphthenes and aromatics, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes, are reported in mass or volume percent. This Gas Chromatograph (GC) testing service provides the compositional data required for fuel‑quality certification, refinery process control and compliance with the Clean Air Act and the EU Fuel Quality Directive.
Simulated distillation of crude oil, middle distillates and heavy fractions according to ASTM D2887, ASTM D7213 and EN 15199‑2: the sample is injected into a non‑polar column, and the boiling‑point distribution is calculated from the retention times of a homologous series of n‑alkanes. The initial boiling point, the final boiling point and the yield at specified cut‑points are reported, providing the essential data that crude traders, refinery planners and process engineers use to value the crude and to optimise the distillation units.
Determination of fatty acid methyl esters in biodiesel and diesel‑biodiesel blends according to EN 14103 and ASTM D6584: the fuel is derivatised if necessary, and the individual fatty acid methyl esters – palmitate, stearate, oleate, linoleate and linolenate – are separated on a polar column and quantified. The total ester content, the linolenic acid methyl ester limit and the content of free and bound glycerol are reported, supporting compliance with EN 14214 and ASTM D6751.
Analysis of sulfur compounds, oxygenates and trace impurities in liquefied petroleum gas, naphtha and middle distillates: a sulfur‑chemiluminescence detector or an atomic‑emission detector coupled to the GC quantifies individual sulfur species – hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide, mercaptans, thiophenes and benzothiophenes – at sub‑parts‑per‑million levels, supporting compliance with the IMO 2020 sulfur cap and the protection of downstream catalysts.

Flavour, Fragrance, Consumer Products and Forensic Science – Aroma Profiling, Allergen Screening and Ignitable Liquid Identification

Flavour and fragrance profiling by GC‑MS with olfactometry according to ISO 13301 and the protocols of the American Society of Brewing Chemists: the aroma compounds are separated on a polar column, and the effluent is split between a mass spectrometer and a sniffing port. The retention index, the mass spectrum and the odour description of each volatile are recorded, and the key aroma‑impact compounds are identified. This GC testing service is used by food and beverage companies to reformulate products, to control the consistency of natural flavourings and to develop new aroma profiles.
Screening of cosmetic and personal‑care products for fragrance allergens according to the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and the SCCS Notes of Guidance: the 24 volatile fragrance allergens listed in Annex III of the Regulation – including limonene, linalool, citronellol, geraniol, coumarin and eugenol – are quantified by GC‑MS after extraction or headspace sampling. The results support the labelling of allergenic fragrances on cosmetic products sold in the EU, the EEA and many other markets that have adopted the EU model.
Determination of nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerol and flavour components in e‑liquids by GC‑FID and GC‑MS: the liquid is diluted and injected directly. The nicotine content, the ratio of propylene glycol to glycerol, and the identity and concentration of the declared flavourings are reported, supporting compliance with the EU Tobacco Products Directive and the US FDA deeming regulations for electronic nicotine‑delivery systems.
Fire‑debris analysis and identification of ignitable liquids according to ASTM E1618 and ASTM E1412: the debris is heated in a sealed container, and the headspace vapours are adsorbed onto an activated‑charcoal strip, then eluted with a solvent and analysed by GC‑MS. The chromatographic pattern is compared with reference chromatograms of gasoline, diesel, kerosene, charcoal lighter fluid and other accelerants, and the presence or absence of an ignitable liquid is reported. Our GC testing service is accredited for forensic applications, and the report is admissible as expert evidence in criminal and civil proceedings.
Blood‑alcohol and toxicological screening by headspace GC‑FID and GC‑MS: ethanol, methanol, acetone and other volatiles in whole blood, serum or urine are quantified by headspace GC with dual‑column confirmation. The chain of custody is maintained throughout, and the results meet the evidential standards of forensic toxicology laboratories worldwide.

Report Acceptance and Global Regulatory Compliance

All analyses performed within our Gas Chromatograph (GC) testing service are executed under the fully accredited scope of our ISO/IEC 17025 quality management system. Each test report that carries the ILAC mark is therefore automatically recognised by regulatory authorities, notified bodies, customs offices and supply‑chain partners in all major economies. For pharmaceutical manufacturers, environmental agencies, food‑safety laboratories, petroleum refineries, cosmetic producers and forensic investigators anywhere in the world, the report constitutes legally robust, internationally accepted evidence that the volatile and semi‑volatile organic composition of the sample has been determined in accordance with the applicable USP, Ph. Eur., EPA, ASTM, ISO, EN and customer‑specified methods. The documentation can be directly used for drug‑registration submissions, environmental‑permit applications, food‑safety clearance, fuel‑quality certification, the issue of inspection certificates according to EN 10204 or equivalent national standards, and the resolution of commercial and technical disputes concerning the identity, purity and safety of any volatile organic material.