Did you know that the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Center for Analytical Chemistry has a Research and Development (R&D) Team always working to improve methods?
The R&D Team provides analytical and applied research and development services and leadership as a reference laboratory in method development. The team performs a variety of method development services for enforcement and monitoring activities of emerging compounds of interest for the protection of human health, food systems and the environment.
Recently, the R&D Team developed a new method for analyzing Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) in air. The method uses Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filters for simple and efficient air sampling. The QACs are then extracted from the filters in about one hour using a fast and straightforward extraction technique. This extraction approach yields high recovery rates for the QACs of interest. The extracts are analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) equipment. This streamlined sampling and analysis workflow enables rapid assessment of QAC levels in air.
Visit the R&D Team webpage to learn more CDFA Center for Analytical Chemistry methods, recent publications, clients and more.
The Center for Analytical Chemistry is part of CDFA’s Division of Inspection Services.