Table 3.

Different separation and detection techniques for chlorinated paraffins. Information on the sensitivity, selectivity, detection of isomers and calibration are provided

Technique	Sensitivity	Selectivity	Detection of SCCP, MCCP, LCCP	Chlorine content of isomers	Carbon length chlorine distribution	Calibration (response factors)
GC‐ECNI‐LRMS	High	Moderate	SCCP, MCCP	≥ Cl5	Yes	Depending on chlorination degree
GC‐ECNI‐HRMS	High	High	SCCP, MCCP	≥ Cl5	Yes	Depending on chlorination degree
GC‐MS/MS (EI mode)	High	Low, much fragmentation	SCCP, MCCP	No congener‐ and homologue‐specific information	Not possible	Less critical for differences in chlorine content and carbon chain length
LC‐APCI‐qTOF‐MS (HRMS)	High	High	SCCP, especially sensitive for MCCP and LCCP	Cl2–Clx	Yes	Less critical for differences in chlorine content
GCxGC‐TOF‐MS (ECNI)	High	High	SCCP, MCCP	≥ Cl5	Yes	Depending on chlorination degree
GCxGC‐ECD	High	High	SCCP, MCCP, (LCCP)	Cl2–Clx	Yes	Depending on chlorination degree
GC‐FID and GC‐MS (carbon skeleton method)	Moderate	High – assuming alkanes are removed during sample clean‐up	SCCP, MCCP, LCCP	No congener‐ and homologue‐specific information	No, only carbon length	Good calibration based on hydrocarbon number only

SCCPs: short‐chain chlorinated paraffins; MCCPs: medium‐chain chlorinated paraffins; LCCPs: long‐chain chlorinated paraffins; APCI: atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation; ECD: electron capture detector; ECNI: electron capture negative ionisation; FID: flame ionisation detector; GC: gas chromatography; LRMS: low‐resolution MS; GC×GC: comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography; HRMS: high‐resolution MS; MS: mass spectrometry; TOF‐MS: time‐of‐flight MS.