Study of a microwave-induced plasma (surfatron) as a detector in capillary-column gas chromatography with reference to pesticides

Abstract

A microwave-induced plasma produced by a surfatron structure is used as an element-selective detector for gas chromatography. Several parameters, such as line selection, pressure, input power, helium flow-rate, tube configuration and role of added amounts of nitrogen, were studied in order to give improved determinations of phosphorus, sulphur, chlorine and bromine in pesticides. Using non-specific detection, the detection limit of carbon is in the range 2–10 pg s^–1. With specific detection, detection limits of elements present in the compounds are between 3 and 60 pg s^–1. In contrast with other elements, signals obtained with sulphur seem to depend on the chemical formulae of the pesticides.