Quantification of Ethanedinitrile in Air Using a New and Accurate Gas Chromatography Method

Compared to previously tested fumigants such as methyl bromide, sulfuryl fluoride and phosphine; ethanedinitrile (EDN) is a new fumigant which is being trialled around the world as a pre-plant soil treatment and as a quarantine and pre-shipment (QPS) treatment of commodities. To collect the data necessary to assess the effectiveness of this fumigant, an accurate analytical method is needed across a wide concentration range. We reviewed the methods of detection for EDN described in recently published fumigation studies and have developed and validated a method to quantify EDN in air using a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Our tested method has a linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of R² 0.9988, 1.36%, 98.8%, 0.750 ppm and 1.073 ppm, respectively. These values were determined using internationally recognised guidelines for the validation of non-standard analytical methods, which means that our method can be applied to the different validation requirements of regulatory agencies and countries. Our method can be used for experimental conditions that require detection at low and high concentrations simultaneously because it is accurate, fast (0.6 min) and repeatable across a concentration range of 1 to 40,000 ppm. This method will help to standardise the quantification of EDN by research groups and facilitate acceptance of data by regulatory organisations around the world.