title: Rapid and facile detection of four date rape drugs in different beverages utilizing proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS).
abstract: In this work, we illustrate the application of proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) in the field of food and drink safety. We present proof-of-principle measurements of four different drinks (water, tea, red wine and white wine) each spiked separately with four different date rape drugs (chloral hydrate, tricholorethanol, γ-butyrolactone and butanediol). At first, the ideal PTR-MS operating conditions (reduced electric field strength and monitoring the most abundant [fragment] ion) for detection of the drugs were determined utilizing a time-of-flight-based PTR-MS instrument. We then dissolved small quantities of the drugs (below the activation threshold for effects on humans) into the various types of drinks and detected them using a quadrupole-based PTR-MS instrument via two different sampling methods: (1) dynamic headspace sampling and (2) direct liquid injection. Both methods have their advantages and drawbacks. Only with dynamic headspace sampling can rape drug contaminations be detected within a timeframe of seconds, and therefore, this method is the most promising use of PTR-MS as a fast, sensitive and selective monitor for the detection of food and drink contamination.
authors.affiliation: IONICON Analytik GmbH., Eduard-Bodem-Gasse 3, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jürschik
authors.forename: Bishu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kassebacher
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sulzer
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Mayhew
authors.forename: Tilmann D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Märk
mesh_terms: D015107:4-Butyrolactone / Q000032:analysis; D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis*; D002072:Butylene Glycols / Q000032:analysis; D002697:Chloral Hydrate / Q000032:analysis; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000032:analysis*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D011902:Rape; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002072:Butylene Glycols; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D002697:Chloral Hydrate; D015107:4-Butyrolactone