Helium discharge detector for quantitation of volatile organohalogen compounds.

A helium discharge has been evaluated as an element-selective, gas chromatographic detector for volatile organohalogen compounds. Absolute limits of detection ranged from 3 pg for chloroform to 29 pg for p-dibromobenzene with a linear response of 10(3)-10(4). The relative response of the detector was determined to be based solely on the mass of the halogen species present. This feature allowed for relatively simple quantitation of chlorinated and brominated haloform species in water samples by the addition of a single internal standard for calibration of the halogen response.