HPLC chromatogram peaks, as frequently monitored by absorbance, can be negatively affected by many variables, including column health and age, purity of the sample, and-germane for this investigation-air bubbles. Although most modern instruments have some ways to detect common and expected pitfalls (e.g. by qualification/controlled experiments), complications arise when rare, stochastic events occur during large-scale experimental campaigns. Air bubbles-one such pitfall-can disrupt an HPLC experiment: when air enters the buffer tubing, it will eventually reach the column, where the chemical separation occurs. These intermittent pockets of air alter the interactions between analytes and the stationary phase, often leading to unpredictable retention times (Figure ), distorted peak shapes (Figure ),loss of a peak (Figure ) or even an HPLC chromatogram that is indiscernible to the scientist.