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What your laboratory loses every day with manual SPE:

If your team is still performing classical manual SPE, this is the day-to-day reality: a technician tied up for hours on repetitive tasks, results that vary from one operator to another, a permanent risk of cross-contamination and difficult-to-guarantee traceability. And with every new analytical run, the whole process starts over.
The KNAUER AZURA® GPC Cleanup system was designed precisely to put an end to these constraints. This is not a simple improvement on manual SPE — it is a complete paradigm shift in the way you prepare your samples.

Technical principle:

The system is based on Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), a molecular size-based separation method. The stationary phase, with heterogeneous porosity, acts as a molecular sieve:
• Interfering macromolecules (lipids, proteins, resins, steroids, cellular components) are excluded first and directed to the waste fraction
• Target low-molecular-weight analytes (pesticides, contaminants, residues) pass through the pores, are retained longer and eluted separately
The result: a clean, reproducible extract directly injectable into GC-MS, GC-MS/MS or LC-MS/MS, with no additional clean-up step required.

Applications by sector:

Food & Agriculture — Residue analysis in complex matrices:

Fatty food matrices (oils, meats, dairy products, cereals) are particularly challenging to purify manually. Co-extracted lipids and proteins rapidly overload analytical columns, degrade signals and generate false results. GPC Cleanup selectively eliminates these interferences, in full compliance with the QuEChERS method and EN 15662 standard for the determination of pesticide residues. Your extracts are directly injectable into GC-MS/MS or LC-MS/MS, with optimised recovery rates and lowered MRLs. Matrices covered: vegetable oils, cereals, fruits and vegetables, products of animal origin, spices, infant foods, dietary supplements

Quality Control — Absolute reproducibility, guaranteed regulatory compliance:

In a pharmaceutical or industrial QC context, every variation in sample preparation translates into costly non-conformities. Manual SPE is structurally incapable of providing the consistency required by modern regulatory frameworks. The AZURA® GPC Cleanup fully automates the process: identical conditions, identical flow rate, identical sequence at every cycle. The Mobile Control software ensures automatic documentation in compliance with GLP, GMP, ISO 17025 and FDA 21 CFR Part 11 requirements, essential during audits and analytical method validation. Direct benefits: elimination of inter-operator variability, reduction of re-analyses, automatic audit trail, measurable ROI from the first months of operation

Environment — Pollutant analysis in high-matrix-load samples: Detection of POPs, PAHs, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in soils, sediments and biota requires rigorous clean-up to overcome high organic load. GPC Cleanup is a reference method validated by the major environmental agencies (US EPA, DIN, ISO). The KNAUER system fully automates the workflow: once loaded, all 15 extracts are processed in sequence with no supervision required, freeing your team for other tasks. A decisive advantage for laboratories handling high sample volumes under strict regulatory requirements. Matrices covered: soils and sediments, wastewater and surface water, aquatic biota, suspended particulate matter, sewage sludge (WWTP)

In summary, what you concretely gain: