Abstract
A simple, automated rotary valve injector for gas chromatography was constructed and evaluated for injection of polybrominated diphenyl ethers with molecular weights ranging from 485 to 949 Dalton. These congeners, particularly those with nine and ten bromine substituents, constitute a severe problem when a split/splitless vaporizing injector is used for gas chromatographic determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers. Volumes up to 50 μL were injected without the need for a solvent vapor exit. Discrimination of the high molecular weight brominated diphenyl ether congeners with seven to ten bromine substituents is strongly reduced. The injector exhibits both high reproducibility and low carry‐over effects. Average relative standard deviation of the absolute peak area was less than 3.5% and for the carryover it was less than 0.4%. An important observation is that the electron capture detector response factors remained constant independent of injection volume, allowing large volume injection to decrease sample concentration detection limits, which is an important feature regarding determination of high molecular weight polybrominated diphenyl ethers. A further advantage is that the rotary valve large volume injector facilitates on‐line coupling of various clean‐up systems to the gas chromatograph.