In this thesis, an electron capture detector (ECD) with an electron source based on corona discharge in nitrogen is introduced. For more than four decades, ECD has been used as GC detector. Since its introduction in 1960, the electron source which is radioactive material, has remained unchanged. Due to certain drawbacks for radioactive materials such as, safety, surface reactivity and large cell volume, many efforts were performed to develop alternative non-radioactive electron sources. Approximately none of these has successfully replaced the radioactive material. The invented detector consists of two chambers. The first chamber contains the electron source which consists of two electrodes for electrical discharge to produce electrons. The second region, in which electron capture happens, consists of the collector and an entrance for the GC effluent. The electrical current registered at the collector is amplified and is plotted against time. This detector has a detection limit of about 33 pg for chloroform and which is expected to be reduced if a better design is used.
