The Technical Secretariat of the OPCW (hereinafter “the Secretariat”) wishes to invite applications from representatives of laboratories in Member States in the Latin American and the Caribbean region (GRULAC) to attend an analytical skills course focusing on the analysis of chemicals related to the Chemical Weapons Convention (hereinafter “the Convention”) and related compounds.
The course will be held at the Laboratorio de Verificación de Armas Químicas (LAVEMA) of the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA) in Madrid, Spain, from 22 November to 5 December 2018.
The goal of the course is to improve participants’ practical skills in analysing chemicals related to the Convention, and in using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
Participants will first be given an introduction to the chemicals related to the Convention, sample preparation techniques, and the theoretical aspects of GC and GC-MS. This will be followed by a presentation on sample analysis using GC equipment with different types of detectors, as well as GC-MS equipment. A discussion will then take place on how to interpret the mass spectra that have emerged as a result of the analyses. The participants will also familiarise themselves with how to maintain these instruments in a manner that ensures a high standard of performance. Finally, they will be instructed on how to report these results, including the requirements of the OPCW in this regard. The skills provided by the course may be used in analysing different types of environmental samples containing various types of chemicals.