gas chromatography

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Definition - What does gas chromatography mean?

Gas chromatography is a method of chemical analysis in which samples are vaporized, and the various chemicals in the samples are separated, so that they may be identified based on the specific spectral peak at which they register. Gas chromatography is a method that is used to further test samples from urine drug tests that have had positive results in confirmatory testing, in order to determine what specific drugs were ingested.

SureHire explains gas chromatography

In gas chromatography, the sample is vaporized, and the components of the sample are separated. Each component produces a specific spectral peak that can be recorded on a graph, either on paper or electronically, that identifies what the component is. The size of the peak, measured from the base to the peak, measures the quantity of the component in the sample. In urine drug testing, this type of testing is done as a confirmatory test after an initial screening test using immunoassay method has been conducted that returned a positive result for the presence of a drug metabolite in the sample.

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