Nanoelectrode Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry

A small ionization needle with an ultrasharp, ultrafine tip is introduced. It is lab-fabricated from tungsten wire and serves as a corona discharge emitter in nanoelectrode atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (nAPCI-MS). Tip radii ranged from 8 to 44 nm, up to 44× smaller than the sharpest previously reported corona needle. Because of this, nAPCI was able to operate at +1.0 kV with no auxiliary counter electrode. Alternatively, at +1.2 kV, nAPCI could be enclosed in a small plastic assembly for headspace analysis with a sampling tube attachment as long as 15 m. No added heat or gas flow was necessary. The efficacy of nAPCI-MS was demonstrated through needle durability studies and direct analysis of vapors from real-world samples. Provisional identifications include ibuprofen from a pharmaceutical tablet, albuterol aerosol sprayed from a medical inhaler, cocaine from paper currency, caffeine from a fingertip, and bisphenol E from a paper receipt.

Determination of Cocaine on Banknotes Using Innovative Sample Preparation Coupled With Multiple Calibration Techniques

A method using innovative sample preparation was developed for determination of cocaine on banknotes. Aqueous extraction of cocaine from banknotes was performed using a sonication‐enhanced technique. Quantitation of cocaine was achieved using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection at 230 nm, whereas identification was accomplished utilizing gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). Multiple calibration techniques, including the external calibration method (ECM), internal standard method (ISM), and standard addition method (SAM) were incorporated into the experimental design to simultaneously determine cocaine contents and assess matrix effects. Statistical paired t tests confirmed that matrix effects were not significant with the sample preparation employed. No damage to the features of the banknotes was observed from the extraction procedure. Extraction efficiency, spike recovery, and detection limit were also determined. The unique experimental design allowed for ECM, ISM, and SAM to concurrently determine the contents of cocaine on banknotes collected around Metro‐Detroit. The concentration range of cocaine was from 1.58 to 14.7 μg per note, with an average of 6.96 μg per note. The method is simple and suitable for drug analysis and forensic science applications.

Ethical priority of the most actionable system of biomolecules: the metabolome

The metabolome is a system of small biomolecules (metabolites) and a direct result of human bioculture. Consequently, metabolomics is well poised to impact anthropological and biomedical research for the foreseeable future. Overall, we provide a perspective on the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of metabolomics, which we argue are often more alarming than those of genomics. Given the current mechanisms to fund research, ELSI beyond human DNA is stifled and in need of considerable attention.

Mass Spectrometry-Based Visualization of Molecules Associated with Human Habitats

The cars we drive, the homes we live in, the restaurants we visit, and the laboratories and offices we work in are all a part of the modern human habitat. Remarkably, little is known about the diversity of chemicals present in these environments and to what degree molecules from our bodies influence the built environment that surrounds us and vice versa. We therefore set out to visualize the chemical diversity of five built human habitats together with their occupants, to provide a snapshot of the various molecules to which humans are exposed on a daily basis. The molecular inventory was obtained through untargeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis of samples from each human habitat and from the people that occupy those habitats. Mapping MS-derived data onto 3D models of the environments showed that frequently touched surfaces, such as handles (e.g., door, bicycle), resemble the molecular fingerprint of the human skin more closely than other surfaces that are less frequently in direct contact with humans (e.g., wall, bicycle frame). Approximately 50% of the MS/MS spectra detected were shared between people and the environment. Personal care products, plasticizers, cleaning supplies, food, food additives, and even medications that were found to be a part of the human habitat. The annotations indicate that significant transfer of chemicals takes place between us and our built environment. The workflows applied here will lay the foundation for future studies of molecular distributions in medical, forensic, architectural, space exploration, and environmental applications.

Assessing cocaine abuse using LC-MS/MS measurements in biological specimens

Cocaine use is still a problem in today's world, and this has several implications on human activities. Indeed, important problems related to cocaine derive from its use in situations where concentration and focus skills are necessary, namely while driving and/or working. The need of analytical methods for drug analysis in specimens of biological origin for proper documentation of human exposure is increasing. While GC-MS-based procedures represented the state-of-the-art of analytical techniques a few years ago, there is a growing trend for their replacement by LC-MS/MS, which can be justified by the increased sensitivity presented by these new technologies. This paper will review recently published papers on the use of LC-MS/MS-based procedures for cocaine measurement in biological specimens.

Capillary Electrophoresis with UV Detection to Determine Cocaine on Circulated Banknotes

A new methodology employing capillary electrophoresis with UV detection (CE-UV) was developed, validated, and applied to determine the presence of cocaine on Brazilian banknotes. Some of the banknotes analyzed were obtained directly from general circulation (well used) while others were collected from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) (relatively new). The background electrolyte optimized using Peakmaster 5.1 software was composed of 60 mmol L−1 TRIS(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane and 20 mmol L−1 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid, at pH 8.4. The separation time achieved for cocaine was only 2.5 minutes. The figures of merit obtained in the evaluation of the proposed method were good linearity (r>0.999) in the concentration range of 0.8–8.0 mg L−1 and acceptable limits of detection and quantification (0.2 mg L−1 and 0.8 mg L−1, resp.). The relative standard deviations of the instrumental precision, repeatability (intraday), and intermediate precision (interday) were less than 4.5% (peak area). The accuracy evaluated through comparing the cocaine results for the banknotes determined by the proposed CE-UV method and using an LC-MS/MS method showed no significant difference between the methods (95% confidence level). In the analysis of the samples cocaine was detected on 93% of the circulating banknotes in amounts ranging from 11.5 μg to 2761.9 μg per note.

Bioanalytical methods for the determination of cocaine and metabolites in human biological samples

Determination of cocaine and its metabolites in biological specimens is of great importance, not only in clinical and forensic toxicology, but also in workplace drug testing. These compounds are normally screened for using sensitive immunological methods. However, screening methods are unspecific and, therefore, the posterior confirmation of presumably positive samples by a specific technique is mandatory. Although GC-MS-based techniques are still the most commonly used for confirmation purposes of cocaine and its metabolites in biological specimens, the advent of LC-MS and LC-MS/MS has enabled the detection of even lower amounts of these drugs, which assumes particular importance when sample volume available is small, as frequently occurs with oral fluid. This paper will review recently-published papers that describe procedures for detection of cocaine and metabolites, not only in the most commonly used specimens, such as blood and urine, but also in other 'alternative' matrices (e.g., oral fluid and hair) with a special focus on sample preparation and chromatographic analysis.

Ultrasound-assisted hydrolysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometric determination of phenolic compounds in cranberry products

An ultrasound-assisted hydrolysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method has been developed for determination of phenolics in cranberry products. Prior to GC-MS separation and characterisation, the phenolics in samples were hydrolysed by hydrochloric acid with ultrasound-assistance, extracted with ethyl acetate, and derivatised with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA)+1% trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) reagents. The application of ultrasonication significantly accelerated the acidic hydrolysation of the conjugated phenolics. A baseline separation of the 20 phenolics and internal standard was achieved in 25min. Standard calibration curves were linear over the concentration range of 0.0-50μg/mL and detection limits were 0.06-0.70μg/mL. Twenty phenolics were identified in cranberry samples and all of them occurred mainly in conjugated forms. Of those, the benzoic acid, quercetin, and myricetin were most abundant phenolics. The total phenolics were 12.4mg/g in cranberry fruits, 9.1mg/mL in 100% cranberry juice, and 11.1mg/g in cranberry sauces, respectively.

Population drug use in Australia: a wastewater analysis

Accurate information on drug use in communities is essential if health, social and economic harms associated with illicit drug use are to be addressed efficiently. In most countries population drug use is estimated indirectly via surveys, medical presentations and police and custom seizures. All of these methods have at least some problems due to bias, small samples and/or long time delays between collecting the information and analysing the results. Recently the direct quantification of drug residues in wastewater has shown promise as a means of monitoring drug use in defined geographical areas. In this study we measured 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methamphetamine and benzoylecgonine in sewage inflows in metropolitan and regional areas of Australia and compared these data with published European data. Cocaine use was small compared to European cities (p<0.001) but was compensated for by much greater consumption of methamphetamine (p<0.001) and MDMA (p<0.05). MDMA was more popular in regional areas (p<0.05) whereas methamphetamine and cocaine were mainly consumed in the city (p<0.05). Greater than 5-fold increases in MDMA use were detected on weekends (p<0.001). This approach has the potential to improve our understanding of drug use in populations and should be further developed to improve prevention and treatment programs.

Illicit drugs: contaminants in the environment and utility in forensic epidemiology

The published literature that addresses the many facets of pharmaceutical ingredients as environmental contaminants has grown exponentially since the 1990s. Although there are several thousand active ingredients used in medical pharmaceuticals worldwide, illicit drug ingredients (IDIs) have generally been excluded from consideration. Medicinal and illicit drugs have been treated separately in environmental research even though they pose many of the same concerns regarding the potential for both human and ecological exposure. The overview presented here covers the state of knowledge up until mid-2010 regarding the origin, occurrence, fate, and potential for biological effects of IDIs in the environment. Similarities exist with medical pharmaceuticals, particularly with regard to the basic processes by which these ingredients enter the environment--excretion of unmetabolized residues (including via sweat), bathing, disposal, and manufacturing. The features of illicit drugs that distinguish them from medical pharmaceuticals are discussed. Demarcations between the two are not always clear, and a certain degree of overlap adds additional confusion as to what exactly defines an illicit drug; indeed, medical pharmaceuticals diverted from the legal market or used for non-medicinal purposes ar also captured in discussions of illicit drugs. Also needing consideration as par tof the universe of IDIs are the numerous adulterants and synthesis impurities often encountered in these very impure preparations. many of these extraneous chemicals have high biological activity themselves. In contract to medical pharmaceuticals, comparatively little is know about the fate and effects of IDIs in the environment. Environmental surveys for IDIs have revealed their presence in sewage wastewaters, raw sewage sludge and processed sludge (biosolids), and drinking water. Nearly nothing is known, however, regarding wildlife exposure to IDIs, especially aquatic exposure such as indicated by bioconcentration i tissues. In contrast to pharmaceuticals, chemical monitoring surveys have revealed the presence of certain IDIs in air and monetary currencies--the latter being of interest for the forensic tracking of money used in drug trafficking. Another unknown with regard to IDIs is the accuracy of current knowledge regarding the complete scope of chemical identities of the numerous types of IDIs in actual use (particularly some of the continually evolving designer drugs new to forensic chemistry) as well as the total quantities being trafficked, consumed, or disposed. The major aspect unique to the study of IDI's in the environment is making use of their presence in the environment as a tool to obtain better estimates of the collective usage of illicit drugs across entire communities. First proposed in 2001, but under investigation with field applications only since 2005, this new modeling approach for estimating drug usage by monitoring the concentrations of IDIs (or certain unique metabolites) in untreated sewage has potential as an additional source of data to augment or corroborate the information-collection ability of conventional written and oral surveys of drug-user populations. This still evolving monitoring tool has been called "sewer epidemiology" but is referred to in this chapter by a more descriptive proposed term "FEUDS" (Forensic Epidemiology Using Drugs in Sewage). The major limitation of FEUDS surrounds the variables involved at various steps performed in FEUDS calculations. These variables are summarized and span sampling and chemical analysis to the final numeric calculations, which particularly require a better understanding of IDI pharmacokinetics than currently exists. Although little examined in the literature, the potential for abuse of FEUDS as a tool in law enforcement is briefly discussed. Finally, the growing interest in FEUDS as a methodological approach for estimating collective public usage of illicit drugs points to the feasibility of mining other types of chemical information from sewage. On the horizon is the potential for "sewage information mining" (SIM) as a general approach for measuring a nearly limitless array of biochemical markers that could serve as collective indicators of the specific or general status of public health or disease at the community-wide level. SIM may create the opportunity to view communities from a new perspective--"communities as the patient." This could potentially lead to the paradigm of combining human and ecological communities as a single patient--as an interconnected whole.

Cocaine causes atrial Purkinje fiber damage

Comparisons of atrial tissues from Syrian hamster offspring born from cocaine-treated mothers during the last days of pregnancy with sham-treated ones demonstrate irreversible focal ischemic damage in the Purkinje myofibers and minor endocardial damages as well as minute cardiomyocyte vacuolization. These defects are consistent with the pharmacotoxicity of cocaine or its metabolites. The damaged Purkinje myocytes apparently remain in contact with adjacent cardiomyocytes but undergo autolytic process similar to that found in autoschizic cell death. Adjacent cell type(s) appear to segregate or engulf the injured cells. Data collected in this report demonstrate why clinical bradyarrhythmias, arrhythmias, or sudden death as cardiac arrest can be found in pre- and postnatal cocaine-abused babies as well as those found in young individuals caused by acute or chronic cocaine abuse.

Improved extraction and identification by ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry of phenolic compounds in burdock leaves

The simultaneous ultrasonic and microwave assisted extraction (UMAE) technique was first employed to obtain phenolics. The effects of UMAE variables including extraction time, microwave power, and solvent to solid radio on the yield of phenolics were investigated. The optimized conditions were as follows: solvent to solid ratio was 20:1 (ml/g), extraction time was 30s, microwave power was 500W and two times of extraction. Moreover, the phenolic yield of UMAE was higher than that by maceration, indicating a significant reduction of extraction time and an improvement of efficiency. The phenomenon is related to the strong disruption of leaf tissue structure by microwave induced expansion and ultrasonic shaking, which had been observed with the scanning electron microscopy. The phenolic compositions of the extract was then identified by ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), 10 compounds had been characterized, providing a more complete identification of phenolic compounds in burdock leaves than previously reported. The occurrence of benzoic acid and p-coumaric acid is reported for the first time. This study suggests that UMAE is a good alternative for the extraction of phenolics, with a great potential for industrial application. Also, UMAE provides a new sample preparation technique for characterization of the phenolic compounds from plants.