Strategies for compound identification and quantification using fused silica capillary column GC/MS

A test mixture containing 28 compounds plus their stable isotopically labeled analogs was analyzed on a daily basis for one month during a series of routine fused silica capillary column GC/MS analyses in order to establish the precision with which retention times and responses were produced. These long-term precision data were evaluated to determine how to best predict retention times and how to best reproduce quantification. Results clearly indicate that relative retention times should be calculated using the reference compound eluted most closely to the target compound and that quantification should be based on relative response using a chemically “similar” compound.