Chromatography Forum

Hi there,

We currently have an agilent 5890 II with dual ecds. I'm finding it difficult to achieve the MDL's which are now required in our state. We want to upgrade our system so that we get better sensitivity.

My question: What is the most sensitive GC-ECD out there? How many times more sensitive is it than the old type HP-5890?

We mostly have Agilent-HP instruments (I'm not married to them by any means) and I was thinking of getting the 6890 micro ecds, but if a better company makes one then I could go in that direction.

thanks in advance.

I'm not sure what you're analyzing, and it is a newer instrument, but...

I used to work in a lab analyzing drinking water for THMs and HAA5. We had an Agilent 6890 with the Agilent micro-ECD. That detector was more than sensitive enough to meet the MDL requirements from the state/EPA.

MarkRob,

You should see an improvement in your detection limit by using the micro-ECD's. This is in part due to the lower noise level of the recessed anode and improved stability. In addition, the internal volume of this detector is smaller than the old style which, because the ECD is concentration dependent, should also improve your detection limit significantly.

Best regards.