The Benefits of Sampling Terpenes using Thermal Desorption and Gas Chromatography

The need for new analytical methods for analyzing Terpenes is on the rise. The use of Thermal Desorption / Gas Chromatography (TD/GC) offers an effective sampling technique for analyzing the Terpene concentrations from cannabis & hemp. Collecting samples into air sampling tubes eliminates the hassle of removing and shipping valuable parts of the plants to the lab for analysis. Capturing the air sample onto an adsorbent-filled air sampling tube eliminates the need for solvent extractions of the plant material. Using TD/GC provides a cleaner sample and a way to quantitate the concentration of the Terpenes emitted at different growing & processing stages. In this talk, we’ll provide examples of how thermal desorption tubes can be used for capturing Terpenes from both the air near the plants or by using dynamic headspace to capture the Terpenes from ground plant material. The use of thermal desorption tubes could help both seed producers and growers better understand what growing conditions influence the terpene profile of the plants.