System and method for real time monitoring of a chemical sample

A system for analyzing a chemical sample, comprising:

• one or more detectors;
• a first trapping system including a first multi-capillary column trap and a second multi-capillary column trap, the first trapping system configured to:
• trap, focus, and separate one or more first compounds of the chemical sample, including facilitating a first flow of the one or more first compounds into the first multi-capillary column trap of the first trapping system in a first direction;
• transfer the one or more first compounds of the chemical sample to one of the one or more detectors for chemical analysis without allowing the one or more first compounds to traverse a second trapping system different from the first trapping system including facilitating a second flow of the one or more first compounds out of the first multi-capillary column trap of the first trapping system in a second direction opposite the first direction;
• and
• transfer one or more second compounds of the chemical sample and water vapor of the chemical sample from the first multi-capillary column trap to the second trapping system;
• the second trapping system including a packed trap, the second trapping system configured to:
• trap, focus, and separate the one or more second compounds of the chemical sample that were not retained by the first trapping system;
• while trapping, focusing, and separating the one or more second compounds of the chemical sample, remove the water vapor of the chemical sample, wherein the water vapor traverses the packed trap prior to removal;
• and
• transfer the one or more second compounds of the chemical sample to one of the one or more detectors for chemical analysis, wherein the one or more second compounds and the water vapor traverse the first multi-capillary column trap of the first trapping system before entering the second trapping system.