— Free cheatsheet · for working analysts
The LC-MS troubleshooting cheatsheet
12 symptoms, the likely causes, and the first thing to check for each. The order I actually work through LC-MS problems at the bench.
What's inside
Two pages, organized by symptom. Find what you're seeing, read the likely causes in order, and start with the first thing in the last column.
- Sudden and gradual loss of signal
- Sensitivity loss for one analyte
- Peak fronting and tailing
- Carryover and ghost peaks
- Retention time drift and jumps
- Split peaks and poor area reproducibility
The one habit that saves the most time: before you touch the instrument, check the diluent and the mobile phase. More instrument problems live there than anywhere else.
From 14 years across pharma, CRO, environmental, and natural-product labs.
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