Chapter 7
Principal Analytical Procedures in Organic
Geochemistry
Outlook
In Organic Geochemistry a high variety of sample treatments and analytical
techniques are used depending on the type of sample and the analytes focused
on. However, some principal procedures are applied with variations in nearly
all organic-geochemical laboratories that will be summarized in the following.
Generally, organic-geochemical laboratories are usually analyzing either fossil matter or environmental samples although the principal techniques used are comparable.
This accounts in particular for the final detection methods, high-performance chromatography and coupled mass spectrometry (GC/MS and LC/MS). The
corresponding strategies of identification and quantification are described in detail
in Chap. 5. However, the type of analytes (e.g. pollutants, biomarker compounds . . .)
and their varying concentration levels (approximately from μg/g to pg/g) require
adapted sample preparation routines. Therefore, the corresponding analytical procedures are discussed here separately for both sample types excluding GC/MS or
LC/MS detection. Noteworthy, also the available technical equipment as well as the
individual experiences in different laboratories cause variations in analytical
methods and procedures applied. The standard operation procedures given here as
examples are derived from practical day-to-day routines in the laboratories of the
authors.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
J. Schwarzbauer, B. Jovančićević, Introduction to Analytical Methods in Organic
Geochemistry, Fundamentals in Organic Geochemistry,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38592-7_7
135
Principal Analytical Procedures in Organic
Geochemistry
Outlook
In Organic Geochemistry a high variety of sample treatments and analytical
techniques are used depending on the type of sample and the analytes focused
on. However, some principal procedures are applied with variations in nearly
all organic-geochemical laboratories that will be summarized in the following.
Generally, organic-geochemical laboratories are usually analyzing either fossil matter or environmental samples although the principal techniques used are comparable.
This accounts in particular for the final detection methods, high-performance chromatography and coupled mass spectrometry (GC/MS and LC/MS). The
corresponding strategies of identification and quantification are described in detail
in Chap. 5. However, the type of analytes (e.g. pollutants, biomarker compounds . . .)
and their varying concentration levels (approximately from μg/g to pg/g) require
adapted sample preparation routines. Therefore, the corresponding analytical procedures are discussed here separately for both sample types excluding GC/MS or
LC/MS detection. Noteworthy, also the available technical equipment as well as the
individual experiences in different laboratories cause variations in analytical
methods and procedures applied. The standard operation procedures given here as
examples are derived from practical day-to-day routines in the laboratories of the
authors.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
J. Schwarzbauer, B. Jovančićević, Introduction to Analytical Methods in Organic
Geochemistry, Fundamentals in Organic Geochemistry,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38592-7_7
135