title: Straightforward single-calibrant quantification of seized designer drugs by liquid chromatography-chemiluminescence nitrogen detection.
abstract: Sixty-one different psychoactive substances were quantified by liquid chromatography-chemiluminescence nitrogen detection (LC-CLND) in 177 samples, using a single secondary standard (caffeine), in a trial concerning the quantitative purity assessment of drug-related material seized by the police in 2011-2012 and customs in 2011-2013 in Finland. The substances found were predominantly substituted phenethylamines, cathinones, tryptamines and synthetic cannabinoids, which were identified by appropriate methods prior to submitting the samples for quantification by LC-CLND. The equimolarity and expanded uncertainty of measurement by LC-CLND were on average 95% and 13%, respectively, based on 16 different substances. The median (mean) purity of stimulant/hallucinogenic drug samples seized at the border was 92.9% (87.6%) and in the street 82.0% (64.5%). The corresponding figures for powdery synthetic cannabinoid samples seized at the border and in the street were 99.0% (96.8%) and 90.0% (92.2%), respectively. There was generally only one active drug to be quantified in each sample. Seized herbal samples contained 0.15-9.2% of between one and three components. LC-CLND was found to be suitable for quantification of the nitrogen-containing drugs encountered in the study, showing sufficient N-equimolarity for both stimulant/hallucinogenic drugs and synthetic cannabinoids. The technique possesses great potential as a standard technique in forensic laboratories.
authors.affiliation: Hjelt Institute, Department of Forensic Medicine, PO Box 40, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Ilpo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rasanen
authors.affiliation: Finnish Customs Laboratory, PO Box 53, FI-02151 Espoo, Finland.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kyber
authors.affiliation: Finnish Customs Laboratory, PO Box 53, FI-02151 Espoo, Finland.
authors.forename: Ilmari
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Szilvay
authors.affiliation: National Bureau of Investigation, PO Box 285, FI-01370 Vantaa, Finland.
authors.forename: Janne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rintatalo
authors.affiliation: Hjelt Institute, Department of Forensic Medicine, PO Box 40, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: ilkka.ojanpera@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Ilkka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ojanperä
mesh_terms: D000498:Allyl Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000032:analysis; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D015198:Designer Drugs / Q000737:chemistry*; D004340:Drug Contamination; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000737:chemistry*; D007211:Indoles / Q000032:analysis; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000032:analysis; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000032:analysis; D014363:Tryptamines / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: C582337:1-(5-fluoropentyl)-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole; D000498:Allyl Compounds; D002186:Cannabinoids; D015198:Designer Drugs; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D007211:Indoles; D009281:Naphthalenes; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D014363:Tryptamines; D009584:Nitrogen; C578955:N,N-diallyl-5-methoxytryptamine
keywords: Chemiluminescence nitrogen detection; Designer drug; Drug seizure; New psychoactive substances; Reference standard; Street drug