I had asked a similar question on GC operation last week, but for different kinds of compounds.For my biochem research project at school, I'm testing the ability of a species of bacteria to biodegrade alcohols found in gasoline (methanol, ethanol, isopropyl, tert-butyl and cyclohexanol). The bacteria is growing in a solution of minute amounts of alcohols and Mineral Medium, which is basically just water and dissolved inorganic salts (CaCl2, KH2PO4, NH4NO3 and MgSO4).I know GC's are primarily used to separate organic mixtures. Can a GC separate organic compounds dissolved in salt water? Is it safe to put salt water in a GC? Or would I have to do an extraction to separate the alcohols and run the organic extract through the GC?
Do not let salts enter the GC. You will have to perform an extraction step and run that. Salts can precipitate in the column or degrade into reactive species that can corrode the GC. Water is OK since it will not destroy the column (I've run aqueous solutions before), but salts are not.
