LimsPulse
Chromatography

Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)

Couples a gas chromatograph to a mass spectrometer so each volatile compound is separated and then identified from its fragmentation pattern. Used for unknown volatile impurities, nitrosamines, residual solvent confirmation and extractables.

  • Pharmaceutical
  • Environmental
  • Forensic and toxicology
  • Food & flavour
  • Petrochemical
  • Packaging
Photo of a Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
Photo: Polimerek, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

Maintenance checklist

Daily / each use

  • Check carrier gas pressure
  • Check vacuum readings
  • Review tune or tune-check report

Weekly

  • Replace septum and check inlet liner
  • Trim the column inlet if peak shape degrades

Monthly / quarterly

  • Check rough pump oil (if fitted) and gas ballast
  • Replace gas purifier traps as due
  • Clean the ion source when sensitivity drops or tune voltages climb

Six-monthly / annual

  • Preventive maintenance by a trained engineer
  • Replace filament or electron multiplier as needed
  • Full calibration and OQ
SAFETY

Safety precautions

Before you work on the GC-MS
  • Hydrogen carrier gas is flammable: use leak checks and hydrogen sensors where required; helium cylinders must be chained.
  • The inlet, oven, transfer line and source are hot; allow them to cool before maintenance.
  • Vent the rough pump exhaust to an extraction system; treat used pump oil as hazardous.
  • Handle mutagenic standards (e.g. nitrosamines) with the controls in your site's potent-compound procedure.
In LimsPulse · Calibration Management

Keep every GC-MS in control: usage logs, calibration and maintenance schedules, and automatic blocking of overdue instruments.

See how