Chromatography Forum

I am setting up a headspace SPME procedure to measure Ethyl Carbamate/Urethane in alcoholic beverages. I am following the exact same protocol as another lab as far as the SPME fiber, GC oven program etc. But I am not having any luck with my analysis. The GC-MS is working fine. The only difference is the column- I am using a HP-5MS whereas the other lab used a DB-WAX column. Simce, EC is a relatively polar compound, could this be the reason for me not getting any EC peaks even at 1 mg/L conc?
Thanks!

It could be. SPME depends on focussing the peaks at the top of the column as they elute from the fibre. On a non-ploar column the ethyl carbamate is less strongly retained, and so less focussed than on a PEG column. If you look really closely you migh find a very low broad peak for the ethyl carbamate.

Why struggle ? - use a PEG column that you know will work.

Peter