title: Trace detection of meglumine and diatrizoate from Bacillus spore samples using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.
abstract: Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, letters containing Bacillus anthracis were distributed through the United States postal system killing five people. A complex forensic investigation commenced to identify the perpetrator of these mailings. A novel liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry protocol for the qualitative detection of trace levels of meglumine and diatrizoate in dried spore preparations of B. anthracis was developed. Meglumine and diatrizoate are components of radiographic imaging products that have been used to purify bacterial spores. Two separate chromatographic assays using multiple mass spectrometric analyses were developed for the detection of meglumine and diatrizoate. The assays achieved limits of detection for meglumine and diatrizoate of 1.00 and 10.0 ng/mL, respectively. Bacillus cereus T strain spores were effectively used as a surrogate for B. anthracis spores during method development and validation. This protocol was successfully applied to limited evidentiary B. anthracis spore material, providing probative information to the investigators.
authors.affiliation: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laboratory Division, Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Sciences Unit, Quantico, VA 22135, USA. catherine.swider@ic.fbi.gov
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Swider
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maguire
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rickenbach
authors.forename: Madeline
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ducote
authors.forename: Craig A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Marhefka
mesh_terms: D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000737:chemistry*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000032:analysis; D003973:Diatrizoate / Q000032:analysis*; D044707:Forensic Sciences; D008536:Meglumine / Q000032:analysis*; D011177:Postal Service; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D003973:Diatrizoate; D008536:Meglumine