Qualitative analysis of cocaine, heroin and morphine by gas chromatography connected to mass spectrometry (CG/MS)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.16925/cf.v1i3.1384Keywords:
Cocaine, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, heroin, morphine, GC / MSAbstract
By using gas chromatography coupled with mass selective detector (GC / MS) a reliable and practical method for qualitative analysis of cocaine, heroin and morphine was developed and validated, after chromatographic conditions optimization. This methodology has been used routinely in narcotics substance testing at the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Science Regional Bogotá drug laboratory. In the standarization-related retrospective validation process, specificity or selectivity, repetibility (reproducibility) was tested as well as the cocaine, heroin and morphine detection limit detection. Retention time (TIC) was characterized for each substance under study and the retention time for tetracosane. No interference was detected at the cocaine, heroin and morphine retention time (TIC), under the presence of aminopyrine, benzocaine, caffeine, diltiazem, phenacetin, hydrocodone, levamizol, lidocaine, meperidine, procaine, codeine, papaverine, noscapine and thebaine. The minimum detectable concentration level was of 0.04 ng for cocaine, heroin 0.4 ng as well as 0.8 ng for morphine. The repetibility (reproducibility) tested on all substances under study, was less than 1% by fullfiling all specifications (Horwitz). From January to October 2009 at the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Science Regional Bogotá drug, Lab. 1526 samples were analyzed related to the substances under study. Caffeine is the adulterant substance most found on cocaine, heroin and morphine, testing procedure followed by phenacetin, lidocaine, levamizol, aminopyrine, benzocaine, diltiazem and terephthalate.
Author Biography
Carlos Gandur Torrado, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses
Químico Farmacéutico
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