Environmental

For example, HPTLC is well-suited for monitoring water quality. Other examples include chemical residue analysis in different environmental samples (like pavement, wastewater, soil, manure, crops or leachate water from landfill sites).

In addition, by coupling HPTLC and effect-directed analysis, known and unknown toxins can be detected.

Large volumes of water can directly be applied and concentrated on the HPTLC plate. After development, the different effect-directed assays (like Aliivibrio fischeri, AChE, pYES, and Bacillus subtilis) can be performed on the stationary phase, providing information about the chemical properties of the separated analytes (R_F value with the selected developing solvent) linked to their effect (toxicity). Several examples have been published in our customer magazine CBS.

Equip your lab with the CAMAG products that are most suitable for your specific needs and consult with us in the search for the solution to your analytical problems.

"To ensure drinking water quality, the laboratory at Landeswasserversorgung (a long distance water supplier in South Germany) uses many modern analytical techniques such as HPLC with high-resolution mass spectrometry. With these a wide variety of known, but also unknown organic trace substances can be detected directly from the water samples in the ng/L range. The instrumental analysis at Landeswasserversorgung is assisted by the effect-directed analysis EDA. EDA is a combination of chemical analysis with in-vitro bioassays. HPTLC has proved to be particularly suitable for EDA because the bioassays can be applied directly onto the surface of the HPTLC plate free from organic solvents. Thus, the Landeswasserversorgung has an analysis technology available, which complements the detection of the exposure of a sample to the effect. On the basis of the effect pattern of the previously separated sample, the unknown compounds can also be prioritized for the elaborate identification process."

Dr. Stefan Weiß, Zweckverband Landeswasserversorgung

“Bachema is a Swiss contract laboratory which offers chemical and biological tests for water and contaminated sites since its foundation almost 60 years ago. Bachema quantifies the content of PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) in the binder of asphalt pavements by GC-MS and an HPTLC method. The HPTLC methodology is less time consuming (~35 minutes/sample for GC and ~9 min/sample for HPTLC). Therefore, HPTLC is the preferred method, because it allows for high-sample throughput. Only in certain cases a quantification by GC-MS is needed.”

Urs Maier, Head Organic Laboratory, Bachema