PALO ALTO, Calif., March 22 -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has ordered more than $4 million in gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) equipment and services from Agilent Technologies as part of a grant program to build state and local preparedness for chemical terrorism. The order includes more than 30 Agilent 6890N/5973 inert GC/MS systems with associated consulting, support and service agreements. Agilent said it will distribute the instruments to state health laboratories as part of the CDC's effort to develop the Chemical Terrorism Laboratory Network (CTLN), a nationwide response network for chemical terrorism and other public health threats. This is the CDC's second large deployment of Agilent equipment and services for the CTLN. In total, the CDC has purchased more than $9 million in Agilent equipment and services for this network. Mike McMullen, vice president and general manager of Agilent's Chemical Analysis Solutions unit, said, "More than 70 Agilent instruments have already been earmarked for this critical program. These instruments will help guide public health management of chemical incidents by identifying the chemical agent and determining who has been exposed and their level of exposure." The CDC is a federal public health agency based in Atlanta, Ga. For more information, visit: www.agilent.com