Sensitivity
Depending on the analyte, an ECD can be 10-1000 times more sensitive than a flame ionization detector (FID), and one million times more sensitive than a thermal conductivity detector (TCD). An ECD has a limited dynamic range and finds its greatest application in analysis of halogenated compounds. The detection limit for electron capture detectors is 5 femtograms per second (fg/s), and the detector commonly exhibits a 10,000-fold linear range. This made it possible to detect halogenated compounds such as pesticides and CFCs, even at levels of only one part per trillion (ppt), thus revolutionizing our understanding of the atmosphere and pollutants.
Read more about this topic: Electron Capture Detector
Famous quotes containing the word sensitivity:
“The sensitivity of men to small matters, and their indifference to great ones, indicates a strange inversion.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)
“The vanity of men, a constant insult to women, is also the ground for the implicit feminine claim of superior sensitivity and morality.”
—Patricia Meyer Spacks (b. 1929)
“...some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go away, baldhead! Go away, baldhead!””
—Bible: Hebrew, 2 Kings 2:23.
Elisha--proving that baldness has been a source of sensitivity for centuries, Elisha cursed them and they died.