IntroductionThe analysis of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) provides a critical evaluation of our environment for persistent pollutants. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has issued regulations and guidelines in Method 8270E1 for the analysis of these analytes by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The analysis of SVOCs as a class comes with challenges and is a reasonable method of testing the performance of a GC/MS platform. The diverse set of analytes include phthalates, phenols, nitrosamines, aromatic nitro compounds, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), among others. These analytes span a wide range of molecular weights and have a wide range of vapor pressures. Some of the analytes are well disposed to analysis by gas chromatography while others present significant challenges relating to stability,reproducibility, and chromatographic integrity.