DRUG IDENTIFICATION BY THE APPLICATION OF GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY/TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETER TECHNIQUE

• NCJ Number: 13575
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL 1974) Pages: 313-316
• Author(s): W G KIRCHGESSNER; A C DIPASQUA
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 4 pages
• Corporate Author: American Soc for Testing and Materials
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

RESULTS OF A STUDY IN WHICH A TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETER WAS USED TO IDENTIFY VERY SMALL SAMPLES OF VARIOUS ILLICIT DRUGS AVAILABLE ON THE STREET LEVEL.

Abstract

IN RECENT YEARS, ANALYTICAL METHODS WHICH UTILIZE BOTH GAS AND THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES HAVE FOUND WIDESPREAD USE IN MANY FORENSIC LABORATORIES, ALTHOUGH THERE STILL REMAINS AN APPARENT LACK OF SPECIFICITY IN THESE METHODS. TO OVERCOME THIS PROBLEM AND TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF DRUG SCREENING, A PROCEDURE WAS DEVELOPED USING A GAS CHROMATOGRAPH/ MASS SPECTROMETER (GC/MS) SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM IS RAPID, ACCURATE, AND, BECAUSE OF THE SMALL SAMPLE REQUIRED, IS VIRTUALLY NONDESTRUCTIVE. IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR A RESTRICTIVE INTERFACE SYSTEM AND TO ENSURE 100 PERCENT EFFICIENCY, A DIRECT EFFLUENT COUPLING BETWEEN THE GC/MS WAS ACHIEVED BY THE USE OF A DIFFERENTIAL VACUUM SYSTEM WHICH ALLOWS THE ION SOURCE TO ACCEPT THE ENTIRE EFFLUENT FROM THE GAS CHROMATOGRAPH. IN THIS MANNER ALL THE SAMPLE VAPOR FLOWS DIRECTLY INTO THE IONIZATION REGION, RESULTING IN OPTIMUM SENSITIVITY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)