Peak detection methods for GC × GC: An overview

• Literature on methods for peak detection for comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) is reviewed.
• The focus is on methods for the detection of individual peaks.
• The principles, merits and demerits of each technique are discussed.

The literature on methods for peak detection and integration for comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) is reviewed with a focus on methods for the detection of individual peaks. These methods are of importance to make GC × GC generally applicable for identification and subsequent quantification of target compounds, and for non-target screening strategies, such as used in, e.g. food, biological, environmental and metabolomics studies, as well. There are three main groups of technique: methods based on 1D peak integration and subsequent automated clustering, multivariate methods and graphical methods. The principles, merits and demerits of each technique are discussed.