Question

Material from an environmental study was suspected to contain the banned pesticide, Aldrin, of which you have a pure sample. Gas chromatography showed 6 peaks. How would you determine unequivocally which of these peaks represented Aldrin?

Answer 1

Answer:

In order  to determine unequivocally which of the peaks represent Aldrin, I would run the pure sample through the chromatography equipment.

Explanation:

Gas chromatography is a technique that separates molecules based on their volatility and interaction with both the stationary phase.

The peaks on the chromatogram show how long a substance took to leave the column. Since each different substance substance will leave the column at a different time, each peak can be attributed to a substance.

Therefore, to know which of the 6 peaks represent Aldrin, it is necessary to run the pure Aldrin in the chromatography equipment and see the time of the peak. Then you just need to compare both chromatograms and indentify Aldrin.