Microcoulometric, thermionic, and flame photometric (phosphorus mode) detectors used with GLC were compared for minimum detectability, accuracy, reproducibility, and rapidity for the measurement of ppb and ppt levels of phosphine, PH3, in foodstuffs, air, and water. Based on a response at 10% of recorder scale with a reproducibility to within ±10%, the lower limits of detectability were: microcoulometric (peak area), 5 nanograms; thermionic (peak height), 20 picograms; flame photometric (peak height), 5 picograms. With a 10-g. sample of foodstuff or water, these amounts correspond to a relative minimum detectability of 500, 2, and 0.5 ppt for the microcoulo-