Comparative analysis of illicit heroin samples.
The comparative analysis of street heroin samples is still an object of scientific discussion. A combination of a wide range of analytical techniques is necessary to obtain a valid amount of information about the sample composition, and it is impossible to define an unique analytical approach. We suggest a complete analytical sequence based on analysis of volatile compounds, opiates, diluents, adulterants and metals, by head space gas chromatography (HS/GC), gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS), thin layer chromatography (TLC), high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and atomic absorption (AA) using a sample amount as low as 50-100 mg. The outlined procedure can be successfully applied to routine work, thus obtaining suitable information about a sample's chemical composition. This helps to attribute or exclude common sources of separate specimens. Results obtained on 33 street heroin samples confiscated in the metropolitan area of Rome are listed.
Chiarotti
M
M
Istituto di Medicina Legale-Università, Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Roma, Italy.
Fucci
N
N
Furnari
C
C
D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D003932:Heroin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
D003932:Heroin