FROM: Robert Thompson, General Manager
Originator: Lan C. Wiborg, Director of Environmental Services
SUBJECT:
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TRIPLE QUADRUPOLE GAS CHROMATOGRAPH MASS SPECTROMETER (TQ-GC/MS) SYSTEM
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GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION
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RECOMMENDATION:
Approve a Purchase Order to VWR International, LLC for the purchase of a Triple Quadrupole Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (TQ-GC/MS) System using NASPO Master Agreement No. MA2024005 for a total amount not to exceed $325,947.
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BACKGROUND
The TQ-GC/MS system will be utilized to analyze wastewater samples as required by Orange County Sanitation District's (OC San) NPDES Permit and for various special projects. This is the third of the three budgeted TQ-GC/MS systems for the OC San laboratory; the other two have been successfully deployed for use in ocean sediment and fish tissue analyses.
RELEVANT STANDARDS
* Ensure the public's money is wisely spent
* Comply with environmental permit requirements
* Maintain a culture of improving efficiency to reduce the cost to provide the current service level or standard
* Maintain a proactive asset management program
* Participate in local, state, and national cooperative purchasing programs
PROBLEM
This request is to augment the laboratory's analytical capacity and capability as it relates to semi-volatile organic compounds in wastewater. Currently the laboratory analyzes routine compliance samples for this class of compounds using a traditional single-quadrupole GC/MS. The current instrument is eight years old and is approaching the manufacturer-recommended serviceable life of 10-12 years. The current instrument struggles to meet analytical sensitivity requirements outlined in the 2019 California Ocean Plan for constituents such as benzidine, hexachlorocyclopentadiene, hexachlorobenzene, and 2,4-dinitrophenol. The current instrument does not have a backup system in place. In instances of instrument malfunction, staff needs to devote re...
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